11 Years Later
by QuiFruiturFabulis
Summary: Chihiro has blossomed into a beautiful young woman, and now has a young daughter. When her daughter falls into the Kohaku River, she is saved by a mysterious, yet vaguely familiar stranger who seems to know more than he will say. [A/N: after 6 long years I'm coming back to finish the story! Updates & more, check it out!]
1. Author's Note

**-AUTHOR'S NOTE-**

Hello folks!

It has been 6 long years since I last updated this story. A lot has happened since then: Graduated high school and college, got married, moved 4,000 miles... I've been a bit distracted. BUT, I'm finally coming back to finish this story! Those of you that have asked me repeatedly to finish/update this story - I'm sorry! I'm sure you hate me! I want to thank you for your support and reviews and hope that the super kick-ass things I have in mind for this tale will make up for it!

On that note...

I will start by revising all my existing chapters, and will likely be splicing in a few new chapters in between the ones I currently have written to improve the pace of the story and to elaborate on the characters' development over the 11 years since the spirit world (I started this story back in high school and, well, frankly my grammar, spelling, and story pacing kind of sucked. Though admittedly I was rather impressed by the story overall as my memory of it was fairly poor). It will be a somewhat slow process as I'm in the middle of my busiest season at work so this little note here is more of a "Good NEWS everyone!" type thing [Futurama joke!] For those who have read my other stories, I'll also be revising those ones as well - they're a lot shorter and are finished so those ought to go quickly.

Once I finish revising/editing/adding to my existing chapters, I will be finishing the story. Once I've completed it, I will be posting it all at once. Trying to provide some instant gratification afters 6 years of nothing!

Anyway... yaaaay! This will be fun. I'm hoping to start chapter revisions this week and have them up within the next 2 or 3. Follow me or this story to keep up-to-date!

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**UPDATES**

_6/21/13 | 4:30am_ - I've already updated chapter 1! Go on, go check it out! Leave me a review to let me know what you think!

_6/24/13 | 11:40am_ - Chapters 2 and 3 have been updated, and I've added a new chapter 4 (the old chapter 4 has been pushed to chapter 5). I've also plotted where the rest of the story will be going, though I'm still working on writing it.

_6/25/13 | 8:05pm_ - Chapter 5 has been updated and a brand new chapter (now chapter 6) has been added!

_6/27/13 | 12:50pm_ - Chapter 7 and 8 have been updated! I really re-worked them, so there's more new content in them than old.

6/27/13 | 8:32pm - Chapter 9 has been updated/posted! Mostly new stuff. I'm hurrying to try and get as much posted as possible, as over the next week I'm going to be VERY busy. Hopefully I'll get the next chapter posted soon, but for now chapter 9 ends on a fun note.

7/17/13 | 5:09am - Chapter 10 has been posted! It's completely new, as will be everything from here on out. Enjoy!

7/26/13 | 6:01pm - Chapters 11 and 12 have been posted! They are sort of one long chapter but it got to be so long I split it in half. Chapter 12 is the longest chapter I've written so far.

7/27/13 | 9:38pm - Chapter 13 has been posted! It's a short one, just a brief look inside Haku's head. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 1: Like Mother Like Daughter

**11 YEARS LATER**

**Chapter 1: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

A/N: This chapter has been revised. Nothing new really, just a bit better written. 600 new words. Enjoy! (6/21/13)

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"Amma, amma! Abagha ma!"

Chihiro Smiled, and turned her head to face the small child.

"Yes Sweetie?" she said, forehead wrinkling as her smile reached her eyes. The baby pounded her little fists upon the colorful, woven picnic blanket the two were seated upon, before turning her head towards Chihiro's and reaching her hands upwards, flexing her fingers in a gesture that suggested she wanted up. Chihiro obliged and picked the little girl up and set her in her lap.

"Hi sweetie-pie," Chihiro cooed, nuzzling her nose against her child's cheek in response to her animated giggling. A gentle breeze ruffled the small child's little tufts of dark hair.

"Does Sen want to play?" she asked, lifting the baby up to her feet. The little girl squealed happily, as Chihiro gently lifted her up and down, keeping her feet dangling just off the ground. After several repetitions, Chihiro set her back down on the picnic blanket, next to her lap. '_She is getting so big, this little girl is going to wear me out!'_

It was a beautiful mid-spring day, and Chihiro and her daughter were enjoying the warm sunlight and blossoming flora at the Kohaku River Park. They were sitting in a small, green meadow surrounded by trees, deep in the park. Bright green bushes dotted the base of the semi-circle of trees, large yellow flowers sending their musky, sweet scent across the gentle breeze. The river gurgled not too far away, rushing by with some speed as the snow melt added to the river's flow. The two had been enjoying an afternoon picnic, soaking in the warm sunlight.

Chihiro sighed contentedly. _'I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day'_

Chihiro, now 21 and with a daughter of her own, had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Her shoulder length brunette hair had grown long. Her round, pudgy cheeks had given way to high cheek bones and an angular but delicate jaw. The gangly boyish frame she had once been well known for in her youth had blossomed into a lithe, elegant figure. She had not grown much in height, though she liked to think, despite her short stature, that she still had an imposing presence.

Sen crawled slowly and methodically off of the blanket, towards a white flower, or rather weed, growing by the edge of the picnic blanket. Clumsily, she grabbed the flower in her hand, almost crushing the petals as she pulled it from its stalk. Chihiro watched with amusement as her daughter brought the flower to her face, sniffing it, before sneezing and blowing it from her opened palm. She reached with her free hand for the flower, which had blown onto the blanket, and handed it back to the distressed Sen. Picking a flower of her own, she gently put it behind her ear.

Another breeze whispered by, a bit chilly this time. Dusk was beginning to set in, and it was a bit of a walk back to the car. Chihiro slowly stood up, her long locks flowing over her shoulder and swaying in the soft breeze. She looked over at her little girl who was sitting on their blanket with a handful of grass, flower forgotten. Chihiro chuckled.

"Come on Sen, time to go," said Chihiro softly. Sen looked at her mother with bright brown, curious eyes, her mother's eyes. She gurgled a few unintelligible syllables, and cocked her head to the side. Chihiro laughed. "Aren't you eloquent this evening!" Sen giggled as she Chihiro reached down tousled her hair gently. Sen resumed her grass-pulling as Chihiro turned around to gather their belongings. After successfully putting their food away, shaking, folding, and depositing the blanket inside her backpack, she put the backpack over her shoulders and turned for Sen. However, Sen was no longer happily picking grass a foot away from where the blanket had been. Chihiro's heart skipped a beat. _'I turn my head for half a second...'_

"Sen?" Chihiro called, trying to suppress a note of panic. She quickly turned her head, scanning the immediate area which Sen had previously occupied. It wasn't until she turned fully around that she saw Sen stumbling off towards the river, chasing a butterfly.

"Sen! No! Honey, come here!" Yelled Chihiro, her panic skyrocketing. She ran after Sen, Heart thumping wildly, but she was mere moments too late, as Sen had reached the river and been snatched away by the quickly moving current.

"Sen!" Screamed Chihiro, as her little girl's head bobbed in the water. She stripped off her backpack, getting it caught on her jacket's buttons in her clumsy rush. Sen's Terrified screams echoed around the clearing. Finally extracting herself from her bulky backpack, Chihiro was getting ready into dive into the river when she slipped on a wet rock she hadn't noticed and landed hard on her hip. She watched helplessly as her baby's head bobbed beneath the water and didn't resurface.

"Sen!" Screamed Chihiro. Desperation laced in every chord of her voice. She stood up as quickly as she could, ignoring her aching hip, and bounded the few remaining steps to the river. Though she was not a particularly strong swimmer, and had almost drowned in the river herself as a child, she pushed her growing fear aside; there was no one around to help. Just as her feet had hit the water, a man's head bobbed above the quickly moving current 20 feet downstream, with her baby in his arms. Sen's screams filled the air once more. Relief washed over her being as she moved to the shore and sprinted down to where the man was swimming ashore with impressive fluidity.

Out of breath, and heart thumping wildly, Chihiro ran up to the man and greedily snatched Sen from his arms. She leander her head against the child, who, aside from her wails, seemed to be ok.

"Sen!" she screamed, holding the child close to her chest, stroking her hair. Water soaked through her sweater, seeping into her dress as she continued holding Sen tightly to her as if she would disappear if she didn't. Chest still thumping, it took her several moments before she really took notice of the man who had saved her child's life.

Slightly embarrassed, she looked up to see him standing next to her, smiling down at the two of them. With her free hand, she took his and shook it vigorously. "Oh, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!" She said, words tumbling from her lips in a jumble. Her vigorous thank-you was cut short by the screams of the child in her arms.

"Shh… shh… Honey, it's ok now," Chihiro cooed, rocking her back and forth. After several moments of gentle rocking and reassurances, Sen's screams subsided to terrified murmurs and hiccups. Chihiro turned her attention back to the strange man, gratitude plain on her face.

"**Thank you**," she said forcefully, "How can I ever repay you for your kindness?" She asked sincerely. He smiled.

"Your gratitude is payment enough," He replied in a deep, calming voice. For the first time, Chihiro really took in his appearance and her eyes widened with momentary recognition. He looked to be about her own age of 21, perhaps a few years older. He was wearing a now soaking wet white collared shirt and jeans which were starting to sag with the weight of the water. Though he was lacking shoes or socks.

He had dark shoulder length hair that rippled with an odd tinge of... blue? His eyes were the most intense part of his appearance, and they were... captivatingly beautiful; They shone a brilliant turquoise, hints of sea-green and aquamarine flashing when viewed at just the right angle. His eyes... ... She mentally shook her head. She had gotten a bit lost in them. They were just... enchanting. And the way he looked at her...

'_Pull it together woman.' _She shook her head. Though, try as she might, she couldn't shake the sense of familiarity. And she was pretty certain they had never met. Still...

"Have we met before?" Asked Chihiro, cocking her head. The man simply continued to smile.

"Have we?" He responded lightly. She paused. His tone struck her as somewhat cagey. She brushed it off.

"No, I'm sorry, I just... you seem so familiar," Chihiro smiled, and shook herself out of her reverie, changing topics. "I want to thank you. I'd like to treat you to coffee, are you free tomorrow morning?" She asked, smiling.

"That would be wonderful," He said, tilting his head and giving a radiant smile.

"How about that little coffee shop on the corner, by that fruit stand downtown?" she responded

"Sounds great," he agreed, "Would you like some help with your little girl? She seems rather cold, as do you."

Chihiro noticed shivering coming from her arms, and noticed her own goosebumps as well. She held Sen even closer to her now soaking torso. "That would actually be very helpful, thank you. My name is Chihiro by the way, nice to meet you." She extended her hand.

The man smiled, though the warmth that had previously occupied it seemed somewhat diminished "Nice to meet you. I'm Haku."

That same rush of recognition spiked once more, but Chihiro brushed it aside, focusing instead on the task at hand. "I left some of my things down river, and my car is a bit of a walk, I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all."

Chihiro strapped Sen, who had been changed out of her wet clothes into a spare dry set, into her car seat and wrapped her in a blanket. Her low warbling cries slowly diminished as Chihiro handed the child her favorite toy - a stuffed giraffe with a very bendy neck, the result of many months being grabbed around said neck by small but powerful fingers. Haku returned from the rear of the car, where he had set her backpack in the trunk as Chihiro set the child's wet clothes on the floor of the back seat and shut the car door. She turned to face him, and instead of reiterating her thanks once more as she had intended, caught herself taking in his appearance and, again, becoming overwhelmed by a sense of... familiarity? Deja Vu? He smiled warmly as she stared at him somewhat dumbly, and rather than finding his silent gaze disconcerting, found it strangely comforting.

"I can't thank you enough. If you hadn't been there, I don't know what would have happened to her," She said sincerely.

Haku smiled, and returned her sincerity. "You don't need to thank me, it was my pleasure."

He studied her intently, his eyes gazing into hers. As she met those turquoise pools, she lost track of what she was going to say. She found herself, instead, gazing back into them, entranced. Those eyes...

"I should get her to the doctor," Chihiro said absentmindedly, still caught in the depths of his eyes.

"Yes, absolutely," he said gently, "and rest, for you as well. You've had quite a day," he said. At the thought of rest, she refocused herself. Rest was one thing she certainly did need. After her last few weeks of working extra shifts, she was becoming regularly sleep deprived. And the day had turned out to be quite emotionally exhausting.

"Thank you, again. Will you be alright? Do you need a ride home, or to your car? You must be freezing."

The man only smiled contentedly and shook his head, "I'll be quite alright, but thank you."

As she was driving off, Chihiro looked in her rearview mirror and saw him standing where her car had been moments before, watching them drive off. She turned her eyes back to the road, and her mind wandered back to the overwhelming sense of familiarity she had repeatedly experienced. After giving it some thought, and combing through her memories, she reasserted to herself that she was sure she hadn't met him before. _'Perhaps he just has one of those faces...'_

She looked back in her rearview mirror, back at the place she had just been parked and where Haku had been standing, but her daughter's rescuer was nowhere in sight.

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**A/N:** Woo! First chapter revised! It's gone from its orignal 1400 words to 2000 words, and I think it conveys more of the feel of the scene (more of what I had in my head) than the original. Let me know what you think! I love me a good review :)


	3. Chapter 2: A Glint of Silver

**11 YEARS LATER**

**Chapter 2: A Glint of Silver**

A/N: This chapter has ben edited/revised/updated as of 6/24. When I came back to this story, I had completely forgotten where I had intended to take it. However, after re-watching Spirited Away, I've found a new direction and have been plotting out the rest of the story. However, it's different enough that the subsequent chapters will be undergoing some fairly big changes. The main structure of the story will remain about the same, but the details will be getting altered. If there is some discontinuity between the revised chapters and older chapters as I'm updating, that would be why. Please be patient, though, as I'm almost done revising the latter chapters!

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Chihiro pulled her car into a parking space at the hospital and turned the car off. The stars twinkled outside the windows as she remained, thinking, in her seat.

'_Interesting man...'_ she thought, _'He just appears out of nowhere, rescues my child, and seems to think nothing of it. I could swear I know him from somewhere... I think? Gah.'_

Chihiro slowly unbuckled her seat belt and opened the driver's side door, stepping out into the cool night air. The top of her dress was still a bit damp, but during the drive to the hospital it tried enough so as to not cause her too much chill. Continuing her train of thought, she opened the rear door, leaning over to ubuckle a drowsy Sen.

_His eyes… there is something about his eyes. He is so... unreadable, so vague... His face betrays nothing. But his eyes, that voice... I haven't felt that... that what?_'

She paused. Thoughts swirled inside her head, a never ending vortex of confusion... a sense of understanding just out of reach, tantalizingly close.

_'Comforted? I suppose that's the word. He was comforting, he felt... nice to be around. No one has made me feel like that since...'_

She frowned.

_'Since before I got pregnant.'_

Chihiro shook her head.

_'I suppose I did let a strange man carry my things back to my car as it was starting to get dark, in the middle of a secluded park. That's not very like me...'_

Chihiro stared off into the distance.

_'I need to be more careful. The last man I felt like that around, let lull me into a sense of security like that...'_

Her throat started tightening uncomfortably. With Sen swaddled in her arms, she grabbed her purse and resolutely headed for the entrance, trying to push those thoughts from her mind.

The Pediatrics ward was unusually empty. The brightly colored walls looked eerily dim in the fluorescent lighting. Chihiro walked across the threshold, bundled child in her left arm, purse hanging on her right. As she approached the counter, the nurse on duty gave her a pleasant smile.

"Good evening! How may I help you?"

Chihiro smiled at the woman and stole a quick look at her name-tag.

"Good evening Jo, My name is Ogino Chihiro, and my daughter," Chihiro gently lifted her left arm, "Fell into the Kohaku River this afternoon. I wanted to have a doctor take a quick look at her to make sure she was ok - that there were no broken bones or anything."

"Oh course!" The Nurse turned to her computer and clicked away at the Keyboard. "May I have your medical card please?"

Chihiro, prepared, handed her the two medical cards and Jo quickly clacked away at the computer, "Ogino Chihiro, Age 21, Daughter Ogino Sen, Age 1?"

"That's us," Said Chihiro. Sen Looked up from behind the bundle of blankets to see the nurse and gurgled a few syllables. Chihiro smiled, and held her daughter closer.

'_I hope you are alright._' Although Chihiro wasn't particularly fond of Sen's father, Sen had become the one bright spot in her life, and she loved her more than anything else.

"Please wait in the seats over there. Your name will be called to see the doctor momentarily. Have a pleasant evening!' The nurse voiced with a jovial smile, gesturing towards a row of seats against the far wall.

"Thank you." Chihiro walked over to the seats and took the one in the middle. There was no one in the room save for her and her daughter, and another woman with her son on the opposite side of the room. A TV hummed softly over in the corner with static, the screen flickering. Next to all the children's toys littered in the center of the room, there was a small table with pencils, crayons, and paper. Chihiro drifted off into thought, staring blankly at the drawing station. 'It's so nice and warm in here,' thought Chihiro.

The humming of the TV began to fade into the background

Her head started to bow…

Her eyelids began to droop…

_"You did it Chihiro! I remember, I was the spirit of the Kohaku River!"_

_She was falling, the wind whipping at her face. Her heart was jumping for joy inside her chest, and her hands were grasping another's. She could hear a faint buzzing by her ear._

_"A river spirit?" she responded, staring into shocking turqoise eyes._

_"My name IS the Kohaku River," The young boy opposite her responded._

_"They filled in that river! It's all apartments now," She said, a sadness tugging at her with this revelation._

_"That must be why I can't find my way home. I remember you falling into my river, and I remember your little pink shoe!" He exclaimed, coming ever closer to her as they continued to free-fall._

_"So you were the one who brought me back to shallow water, you saved me! I knew you were good!" Chihiro said with excitement. They continued to free-fall, his forehead touching hers, the ground rushing to meet them, closer... closer..._

"…Ogino? Miss Ogino?"

Chihiro jolted awake, her heart racing. She looked around wildly, trying to gather her bearings. She was clearly not falling from the sky.

_'Okay... I'm at the hospital, in the pediatrics ward. I... dozed off. I was dreaming. Wow, what a vivid dream.'_

Chihiro looked around more slowly, searching for the voice that had been calling her name.

"Miss Ogino Chihiro?" An elderly gentleman walked up to her, wearing a white coat. The doctor was ready to see Sen. She slowly stood up from her chair, still a bit disoriented from the intensity of her dream and the heaviness of her exhaustion. She walked over to the doorway through which the doctor was leading.

"Good evening Miss Ogino," He said, leading her towards one of the patient rooms. The man was tall, graying, and surprisingly fit for someone who looked to be about in his fifties. They approached an open room, and the doctor, Dr. Chen she read on his ID badge, held the door open for her as she stepped inside. He followed, and closed the door behind him before taking a seat in front of a computer terminal.

"I hear little Sen fell into a river this afternoon," He said. Chihiro looked at Sen, then back at the doctor.

"Yes, she fell into the river a few hours go at the Kohaku River park. She was int he water quite a while before she was pulled out and though she's seemed to be fine since, I wanted to make sure there are no broken bones, or some other kind of injury."

The doctor raised his eyebrows. "The Kohaku River? She fell into the Kohaku River? That river is rather rapid this time of year, with a strong undertow. She's one lucky little girl." Chihiro shivered. The thought of anything happening to her little girl was unnerving. Being present, now, at the hospital made the day's events start to really sink in. She had let Sen come far to close to danger. A heaviness pulled at her heart. The doctor continued, "Tell me exactly what happened."

Chihiro began her story, beginning from the moment she turned around to gather her things, and ending with her arrival at the hospital.

"Well, miss Ogino, you were really lucky that man happened to be near enough to help. Let me take a quick look at Sen, and then once I'm done, you two can be on your way to get a peaceful night's rest."

"Please, do," Chihiro said, carefully un-bundling her baby girl so Dr. Chen could examine her more thoroughly. He checked her ears, her throat, took her temperature, checked her breathing, and seemed completely complacent until he started checking for broken bones. Upon gently pressing down on a section of her forearm, Sen began crying.

"Hmm…" He mumbled. He was softly feeling up and down Sen's left arm, with an odd expression on his face. Chihiro started to worry.

"Is everything ok?" She asked. The doctor stopped his inspection, seeming to contemplate for a moment before turning to Chihiro.

"She seems to reactive to pressure at this point of her arm, which at this point in her development is rather undeveloped and prone to breakage or fracture. It could be, worst case scenario, a fracture, best case scenario a bruise, but I'm not sure. I'd like to do a quick X-Ray."

Chihiro's heart stopped. _'Fracture? My baby has a fracture?!_' Chihiro nodded dumbly, and the doctor led her out of the room to the radiography wing.

Ten minutes later, both doctor and mother were back in the small room with the X-Rays displayed on the computer screen. Chihiro sat nervously with a now wide awake Sen playing with a teddy bear in her arms, courtesy of one of the nurses. The doctor sat opposite the two, inspecting the X-Rays with a furrowed brow. After a few minutes, the doctor finally sighed.

"I'm stumped. Her arm shows no sign of breakage or fracture in the X-Ray, yet there are clearly signs of the same sort of stress and bruising that occurs on the surrounding tissue as a result of a break. But her arm is perfectly in tact. I've never seen anything like it. Whatever happened, she was very lucky."

Upon seeing Chihiro's panic-stricken face, he smiled and added, "You can relax, she is perfectly fine."

Chihiro let out the breath she hadn't noticed she had been holding. It had been such a strange day, Chihiro felt wiped out. She stood up, as did the doctor, then extended her hand and shook his vigorously.

"Thank you. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I'm so glad she's ok," She said gratefully. The doctor nodded, smiled, and led her out of the room.

Chihiro walked out of the hospital with a much lighter stride, knowing her baby was in perfect health, despite the big scare earlier that afternoon. The car beeped as she unlocked it, opened the rear door, and leaned over, tucking Sen into her car seat. As she buckled her in, a faint silver glint caught her eye. The sparkle was coming from Sen's wet clothes which Chihiro had laid on the floor beneath the car seat. As she leaned down, she found the source of the silver glint: a small silver sliver caught in the pocket of the little jeans Sen had been wearing when she fell into the river. Chihiro pulled it out to inspect it more carefully. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. Looking at it closer, she realized that it wasn't silver, but an opalescent shade of white.

'_What is this?'_

She turned it over in her hand. It looked like a giant white scale, and seemed to tremble at her touch.

Chihiro jolted where she stood as if her hand had just been electrocuted.

_Wind…_

_Clouds… Falling..._

_…Flying…_

Chihiro grabbed onto the side of her car for balance. Her head was suddenly swimming and she had a horrible sense of vertigo, as if she had just gotten off a carnival ride. The scale was still clasped firmly in her hand.

'_What WAS that? Side-effects of sleep depravation?'_

Unnerved and frightened, Chihiro pocketed the silver sliver and groped her way to the driver's side door. She carefully pulled the door open, slipped into the seat, and shut it again before closing her eyes and leaning her head against the head rest. Despite the black veil her closed eyelids provided, the world still felt as if it were spinning.

_'I guess those extra shifts have been taking more of a toll than I realized,'_ she told herself. Or rather, tried to convince herself. After several moments, once the world stopped feeling like she had just stepped off a roller coaster, she opened her eyes and pulled the silver scale-like thing from her pocket.

It sparkled; a slight iridescent, opalescent finish coating the white surface. She pushed it around her palm with her other hand. The more closely she examined the object, the more it seemed to absorb her. She blinked several times. The scale almost seemed to call to her, whisper her name. It was undeniably familiar and completely foreign at the same time.

'_Weird...'_

Chihiro sighed, and put the scale back in her jacket pocket. She was reticent to toss it, though she couldn't quite explain why.

_'No harm in keeping it, I suppose. It IS very pretty.'_

Sen was asleep, and Chihiro was exhausted. She turned on the car, and once more contemplated the day's events.

_'A strange, yet eerily familiar man rescues my baby girl, who nearly drowns in the same river I nearly drowned in when I was young. She has the damage of a broken arm, without actually having a broken arm, and I find a scale in her clothes that really just feels... weird? No, weird isn't the word. Oh, hell, I don't know. I think I'm losing it. Too much stress.'_

Chihiro's car slowly drove out of the parking lot, and down the street, tail lights fading into the distance.

Just of reach of the streetlamp's glow, a tall man with dark, shoulder length hair and turquoise eyes smiled as the car drove out of sight.

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A/N: Let me know what you think of the new chapter! I 3 reviews


	4. Chapter 3: Familiarity

**11 YEARS LATER**

**Chapter 3 : Familiarity**

A/N: This chapter has been edited/revised/updated as of 6/24/13. And it's quite a bit longer - you've been warned.

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Chihiro was pacing the living room. She was supposed to meet Haku in half an hour, but was waiting for the babysitter to arrive. The events of yesterday were still plaguing her mind. She had never been so scared, and the more time passed the more it started to sink in that she had almost lost her daughter. Her nerves were frayed, and the previous night's fitful sleep did little to help ease that.

Her little girl's rescuer, Haku, was such an odd, yet strangely alluring man. After the dream she'd had last night, she was perplexed by him even more. She couldn't remember the dream itself, but rather what she felt during her dream. Fear, confusion, deception all around her; and yet at the same time, hope, happiness, determination, and a fondness, a desperate closeness for something or rather, someone; Perhaps more than one someone? She wasn't _sure. _The one thing she _did_ remember, was that there was a young man with the same, not similar, same startling turquoise eyes as Haku.

Her shoes quietly tapped their way across the tile floor and back again. Her home wasn't particularly large; in fact it was rather small. It was a 2 bedroom condo - small kitchen adjoining the living room, with each bedroom only large enough for a bed and dresser. The minute backyard was just enough space to provide some run-around room for Sen. Despite its size, it was a nice home and in a nice neighborhood. She was fond of it.

Chihiro didn't have a lot of money, not after Sen came along. It had been her parents that had helped her get the place at all. They had managed to negotiate with the landlord, talk down the price per month, and had given her the initial deposit payment to get her started. She'd been doing well before Sen had been born, but the additional expenses that come with a child had changed everything.

She missed her parents, too. Though she loved Sen dearly, her birth had marked the beginning of a lot of troubles. It was shortly after she had been born and they'd moved into her new home that her parents had gotten into the car crash that landed them both in comas. It had been hard to carry on after that, without their support.

She paused in her pacing for a moment, looking out her petite rear window into her tiny backyard, littered with second-hand children's toys. She sighed, '_I need to get this place cleaned up.'_ Chihiro then turned her attention to the stack of bills lying on the coffee table.

'_I need to find another job, too,_' she thought sullenly, _'I'll be short on rent for the 3rd time, otherwise'_ She sighed again, then resumed her pacing, hoping to distract herself from her money problems. Unfortunately, instead of distracting herself from the problems of her bills, her mind switched topics to a different problem: Coffee with Haku. She had wanted to do something at least a little nice for him - he did saver her daughter's life after all - but he'd left an unusual impression on her. Since meeting him, she hadn't been able to get him out of her mind.

_'Those eyes... the way he looks at me... the way he makes me feel...'_ It was unnerving her, how after one meeting she felt like she'd known him her whole life.

_'You're getting into dangerous territory, Chihiro. You swore off men.' _She thought to herself. Chihiro stopped her pacing and flopped on the couch.

'_I need to relax,' _she thought, rubbing her temples,_ 'I'll just have to wait and see how the morning goes. Just... be cool. Collect yourself.' _She sat up a bit, closed her eyes, and took several deep breaths. She could do this... She could do this. Feeling like she'd resolved herself a bit, she turned back to her other problem: money.

_'I'm a good housekeeper. Don't know why, I used to be a slob before my parents and I moved when I was little… maybe I could take out an ad to do some cleaning and maid work? That could work.'_

She stood up, feeling like she'd come to resolutions on both fronts, and went to the closet to pick out a sweater. Even though it was mid-spring, it was still chilly in the mornings. As she slipped a thin white cardigan over her shoulders, she noticed an iridescent silver-white sliver, sparkling in the dim light. The scale she found last night was lying on her entryway table. Despite feeling resolved on her other two problems, she was still perplexed by this mysterious item.

Her musings, however, were interrupted by the buzz of the doorbell. She turned and opened the front door, where she greeted the elderly nanny with a smile, "Hi Keiko!" Keiko stepped over the threshold, shedding her sweater in the process.

"I'm so sorry I'm late Chihiro, traffic was just horrible. You go off and do what you need to do, go have fun, and I'll take good care of Sen while you're gone," said Keiko. Chihiro smiled. Keiko was such a sweet lady. She felt bad that she couldn't afford to pay her. Being a family friend, Keiko refused to accept monetary payment anyway and Chihiro certainly thought monetary payment was warranted, though she readily (and regularly) accepted Chihiro's trademark brownies as a thank-you.

"Keiko, thank you so much for coming early today. You do so much for me."

Keiko laughed, "I adore watching Sen for you; all my kids have grown and gone! Sen's like the granddaughter I never had. Besides, that's what family friends are for." She nudged Chihiro lightly and winked.

Chihiro smiled gratefully, and enveloped keiko in a hug.

"Thank you!" She gave her a kiss on the cheek, and her schedule for the day. With that, she grabbed her sweater and purse and walked out the door.

'_Just in time!'_ thought Chihiro triumphantly. Despite poor Keiko's delay, she had managed to get to the coffee shop on time. She walked in the door of the quant little shop to the sound of a jingling bell. She looked around the cozy room. It was quaint: worn wooden paneled floors gave way to similarly colored wooden paneling which reached halfway up the walls. Beyond that was cream colored paint. The walls were decorated in large paintings of coffee beans, coffee plants, mugs of steaming coffee... a local artist, she presumed. Small round, wooden, two-person tables decorated the left side, as a short line of people congregated around the register to the right. In the far corner of the room, seated in a secluded corner, Haku read the morning paper.

She walked up to the counter and ordered two cups of coffee, then walked over to his table and sat down in the opposite chair, sliding the second cup in his direction. He looked up from his paper.

"Good morning, Chihiro," he said brightly.

"Good morning to you, Haku," She said with a small, nervous grin as she set her sweater on the back of her chair along with her purse. Haku had set down his paper, and pulled the mug of coffee towards him, giving it a grateful sniff.

"Thank you," he said, looking up at her from beyond the rim of the cup as he took a small sip. Chihiro maintained her nervous grin, and responded with a simple "You're welcome."

A comfortably award silence ensued. Chihiro twiddled with the thin, gold band on her left hand ring finger, while Haku gazed intensely at her, or what felt more like gazing through her. She finally met his eyes, and kept his gaze, determined to keep her cool.

"I have to admit, you seem really familiar. Are you sure we haven't met somewhere before?" Chihiro asked. He smiled at her, though the warmth seemed somewhat to fade from his eyes.

"Have we?" He asked, repeating the same answer he gave when she asked the day prior. Chihiro laughed. "Bit vague, aren't you," She replied, the awkwardness of her smile beginning to fade. He only continued to smile and took another sip of his coffee, his gaze never leaving hers.

"If you don't mind my asking, how did the Kohaku River come to be? To my understanding it was filled in many years ago," he said conversationally.

Chihiro looked at him confused. Everyone knew about the river. It had made headlines.

"You don't know?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. He shook his head.

"Well," She began, "we had a big earthquake about two and a half years ago. The earthquake was pretty massive, and affected a lot of the countryside. All the apartment complexes that had been on top of where the river used to be crumbled in the earthquake. In the following months they started clearing the debris, and while they were digging underground to excavate the foundation, the river poured forth from seemingly nowhere with incredible force. Nearly killed a few of of the workers, but they somehow got washed to higher ground. So the county spent about eight months clearing the river's old path and the Kohaku River Park was officially opened shortly after that." Haku had an small grin on his face. Chihiro continued, "Some say that it was the spirit of the river that caused the earth to split like it did, so that the river could flow free." Chihiro paused. "I'm glad the river is back though. It's special to me," She said with fondness, staring off into space as she remembered her childhood trips to the river.

"I'm glad it's back too," he said, gazing meaningfully into her eyes. After a few moments, Chihiro averted her eyes, looking into the swirling black liquid in her cup. The intensity of his stare unnerved her, though she couldn't place why.

He changed topics.

"How is Sen?" He said, "That was quite an ordeal for her yesterday." She looked back up at him. His eyes were sincere, and reflected genuine interest in her welfare. That same, strange comfort and... closeness, she had felt yesterday returned to her as she faced him now.

"Well, I took her to the hospital that evening to make sure she was ok. It was very strange. The doctor said her arm showed sign of a recent breakage, but after some X-Rays determined that, despite tissue stress, her bone was perfectly whole." Haku remained impassive, however a small glint in his eyes suggested he knew more than he was saying, which wasn't much to begin with. Chihiro continued, "I have to admit, I'm really relieved nothing was wrong. I don't think I could have afforded the medical bills on my salary."

A sudden look flitted across Haku's face, as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, but disappeared so quickly she was sure she must have imagined it. He cocked his head slightly to the side and with a gentle yet quizzical expression, asked, "Is your husband out of work?"

Chihiro hesitated, then tore her eyes away from his to look down, attempting to hide the flush that was beginning to creep upon her cheeks. This wasn't something she really wanted to share; She had just met him. Had she really just met him? He felt like she'd known him for so long, like he was an old friend. She ran her thumb across the rim of her cup.

Haku sensed her discomfort and his smile faltered, "I'm sorry, we don't have to talk about it..."

Inwardly, Chihiro chided herself for letting him so quickly and easily poke the most sensitive issue in her life. Steeling herself, she lifted her head from her cup and gazed unseeingly at one of the paintings on the wall, willing her face to be impassive in an attempt to hide her frustration.

"It's alright, you didn't know. I'm not married. Sen's father... left, before Sen was born." It was truthful, but vague enough to hide the more painful details.

It had actually been easier to say than she expected. It was easy to talk to Haku. Despite it being over a year since Kai had abandoned her and Sen, she still found it difficult to relive his betrayal, and the consequences of it. Which is why she was surprised with herself when the next few sentences spilled from her mouth.

"We got engaged shortly after we found out I was pregnant." She turned her head from the painting on the wall to the gold band on her left hand, "It became clear, though, he proposed because of the pregnancy and not because he loved me. I still wear it to avoid the stigma of being a single mother," then, in a voice laced with emotion, "even though it's a constant reminder of him."

Her throat felt tight, and she blinked several times. _'Did I just say that? I can't believe I just said that.' _She took several quiet, deep breaths, willing herself to relax. Ever since he'd left, she'd shoved the memory of his betrayal in a dark corner of her mind and locked the door behind her, tossing away the key. She had told everyone she'd be okay, that she could handle it, but deep down she knew that what he'd done had hurt and scarred her far more than she would ever let anyone know. And she certainly wasn't about to unlock that door to Haku, especially not in a coffee house.

Feeling that she had control of her emotions again, she steeled herself to look back up at him. The expression she saw him give her almost made her emotional dam break completely. Since she'd first met him yesterday, he'd seemed to always have a little spring in his step, a cheery smile on his face. Yet, despite his sympathetic smile, his eyes betrayed a sadness that plumbed the depths of his soul. A shiver ran up her spine. His hand, warm from holding his coffee mug, reached across the table and rested gently atop her own.

"I'm sorry."

His bright, turquoise eyes prominently displayed genuine care and sympathy, which pierced the protective wall she kept around her heart. She felt paralyzed. She wanted to move her hand out from under his, to look away, say that she should get going... But instead she remained, feeling the calming warmth of his hand atop hers. The longer she gazed into his eyes, the more she focused on the warmth emanating from his hand, the more relaxed and... content, she felt. It was as if a cool, calming liquid began rushing through her veins, until after a few moments she had forgotten what she'd been upset about all together.

She also felt, suddenly, an unfamiliar set of emotions begin to grip her. It was a heady mix of deep longing, sadness, loneliness, anger, protectiveness... it made her head spin.

Chihiro pulled her hand away and gently gripped her head. However, as soon as the contact between her hand and Haku's broke, the dizziness stopped.

Haku pulled his hand back to grip his coffee, a look of guilt flitting across his face ever so briefly, before being quickly replaced by concern.

"Are you all right, Chihiro?"

Chihiro paused, taken off guard by the suddenness of the dizzy spell, and how quickly it had gone. _'Perhaps I should take the day off... I must be overworking myself."_

"I... I think so. It was just a dizzy spell. I've been working longer hours lately and haven't been getting as much sleep," she said, taking her hand away from her head and setting it back on the table. She proffered a small smile.

Haku returned her smile, before saying gently, "Perhaps you should head home and rest?"

Chihiro chuckled lightly, "I'd love to, but I have work today..." She turned to pull her phone from her purse, "In exactly 45 minutes." Setting it on the table, she contemplated for a moment how their little get-together had gone so far. It was... strange. She wasn't quite herself around him. Of all things in her life, she liked, no, needed, to maintain control of her immediate surroundings. The circumstances of her life over the past few years had instilled in her a fear of unexpected circumstances.

She slowly stood, "I really should get going." She turned to grab her sweater and purse before turning to face Haku, who was beginning to stand.

"It was nice to see you again," he said sincerely, "Perhaps we will see each other again soon?"

Chihiro smiled. Part of her really did want to see him again soon, very soon. But another part of her was afraid of being around him. He... affected her. She liked her walls and barriers, and he somehow managed to bypass them without even trying.

"Perhaps."

Haku turned to grab the coat he had hanging on his chair. As he lifted it off the chair's back, a small metal object fell from his coat pocket and tumbled its way to Chihiro's feet. Instinctively, Chihiro leaned down to grab it.

"Oh, you dropped something."

As she picked it up in her hand, she felt a jolt run through her. Looking more closely at it, it looked to be made of gold. A frog sat atop a tall, square pillar, on the bottom of which appeared to be carved symbols. It was familiar... she had seen this object before, somewhere... distantly...

She suddenly felt very light headed. She set the hand which tightly grasped the object on the table for balance, while her other hand held onto her spinning head. Her thoughts were coming to her sluggishly, and everything around her seemed to be moving in slow motion. She glanced up at Haku, who had a panic-stricken look on his face.

"Chihiro?" he said, nervously, then more strongly and calmly, "Chihiro, let go of that object." He moved towards her, gently grabbing hold of her shoulders.

She could see that he was speaking to her, but the sounds and voices and chatter around her were becoming quieter, as if someone were turning down the volume on a TV. Haku was very close to her now, a look of concern plain on his face. His lips were moving but she couldn't make out what he was saying.

_…Wind… shutters banging…_

_Door slamming... white scales..._

_Sparkling jade eyes…_

Her mind snapped back to the coffee house and she was staring up at... sparkling jade eyes?

_'He's holding me...'_ she thought. Her heart skipped a beat at this realization. Chihiro's knees were wobbling violently, threatening to give out on her. She tried to move back to her chair, but she tripped on her own feet and only stayed upright because of Haku's strong hold. His lips were moving again, but she struggled to understand.

"... Chihiro!... Let go... hear me?"

Was someone dimming the lights? Darkness was encroaching on the edges of her vision... She looked into Haku's turquoise eyes again, trying to communicate wordlessly that she was losing her ability to stand, but when she looked into his eyes, her vision briefly flashed and a silver-white dragon with the same bright turquoise eyes appeared before her, before disappearing and being replaced by Haku's face.

Then, everything went black.

* * *

A/N: Fun fact - I actually modeled Chihiro's fainting on an instance where I passed out due to high fever (104 F!). Hopefully I captured the disorientation and slow descent into the darkness of unconsciousness. Let me know what you think! Reviews are appreciated.


	5. Chapter 4: The Necklace

**11 YEARS LATER**

**Chapter 4: The Necklace**

A/N: This little chapter is brand new. Somewhat filler-ish, but enjoy all the same!

* * *

Keiko had just set Sen insider her playpen before heading to the kitchen table with her craft bag. It was routine for Sen to have two hours of playtime in the morning before her afternoon nap, and Keiko utilized this time to work on her various projects.

An avid crafter, Keiko oscillated between making beaded jewelry and scrapbooking. Having gotten caught up on her scrapbook, today was to be dedicated to beading some new jewelry. While heading out the door to grab the mail, she had noticed a silver-white... something, on the entryway table. She knew Chihiro had gone to the Kohaku river the day prior, one of her favorite places in fact, so she assumed it was a shell of some kind. She also knew what a difficult time Chihiro had been having lately, and wanted to do a little something for her, something nice, to let her know that she still had people in her life who loved and supported her.

And so, the idea to turn the silver shell into a necklace for Chihiro was born.

Keiko set her craft bag on the table and pulled out the little plastic organizer that held her metal findings and chains. With practiced hands, she quickly wove three thin chains together into a loose braid: a silver chain, a black chain, and a gold chain. After clamping the ends together and adding a clasp, she admired her handiwork.

Keiko then went to the entryway table and picked up the silver-white shell and set it on the table. Flipping it over in her hands, she mused, _'What could I do to spice this up?'_

Walking back to the kitchen table, she pulled out another plastic organizer from her bag. This one held her charms. Opening the lid, she scanned her eyes across the rows of charms and pendants. Though she couldn't quite place why she thought it was an appropriate charm, she reached for a small charm in the shape of a multi-story red house with a traditional pagoda roof.

_'This one would be nice...'_

Deftly, she added a ring to the hook and slipped it onto the necklace chain before turning her attention back to the charm box. Scanning up and down the rows of charms, her eyes settled on a long, serpent-like silver dragon. Again, though she couldn't quite place why it seemed like something Chihiro would like, she knew it would be and added the charm to the necklace. Lastly, she glued a small hook to the silver shell and slipped it onto the necklace as well.

Keiko held the finished necklace aloft before her, admiring her work. It was simple: a braided chain with three charms dangling from it. Keiko smiled. And for the final time that day, though she couldn't for the life of her pinpoint exactly why Chihiro would like it, she somehow still knew that she would.


	6. Chapter 5: Personal Questions

**11 YEARS LATER**

**Chapter 5: Personal Questions**

A/N: This chapter underwent a lot of changes and revisions. Still essentially the same, though I made their interactions more... intimate. Enjoy!

* * *

The first thing Chihiro noticed was that she felt heavy. Heavy and warm. Sounds started registering in her brain, quietly at first then growing louder. She heard whirring noises, and the sound of people animatedly talking to one another. Her head felt... fuzzy, and somewhat dizzy, as though she had stood up too quickly after laying down too long. She wanted to open her eyes, but her body felt too incapacitated to oblige. A strong, pungent odor reached her nose - the smell of coffee being roasted. Hair was tickling her face; her nose twitched. A quiet voice reached her ears. He sounded familiar...

"Chihiro? Are you awake?"

She attempted to reply, to move and sit up, but all she managed was to turn her head an inch or so towards the source of the voice, and mumble.

"Mmhmm Hmm..."

Thoughts sluggishly began to form in Chihiro's mind. _'Where... where am I? What happened?' _She tried again, to open her eyes, but the muscles seemed to be unable to respond. Her hand, however, seemed able to move, and she moved it from its resting place at her side to her head, which throbbed with a dull ache.

Feeling her strength slowly come back to her, Chihiro opened her mouth to speak. Her lips were incredibly dry. "Where... where am I?"

The voice hesitated before speaking to her again, "What do you remember?"

That voice... that familiar voice... where had she heard it before?

"Kohaku?"

Slowly, she began to open her eyes. Her eyelids felt like lead weights and she only managed to open them halfway. Her vision swam, the objects before her hazy and out of focus. She blinked several times. Slowly, her vision began to gain clarity. She was lying down in a dark room, Haku seated in a chair next to her, leaning over her. She closed her eyes briefly before opening them again, this time opening them all the way and refocusing on the face before her.

He wore an expression she hadn't seen before. It was fearful, hopeful, and sad all at the same time. Upon seeing her eyes refocus, he made his face impassive, though she didn't miss the slight breathlessness in his voice when he asked, "Could you repeat that?"

"Kohaku?" She repeated, then stopped, confused. "I mean Haku."

He smiled. Unlike any other smile she'd seen from him, this one held such a happiness and a warmth that she couldn't help but smile in return.

"You were correct," he said, "My name is Kohaku, Haku is simply a shortened form."

Now feeling strong enough to do so, Chihiro sat upright and took stock of her surroundings. She still felt groggy, like she'd woken up too early from a goo night's sleep. She was lying on a couch, draped in a thin blanket. She was in a small room, what looked like a particularly nice break room. There was a short counter in the corner, which featured a single set of cabinets above it and small sink. A refrigerator was off to the side, and a small round table with 3 chairs was placed in the center of the room. A potted plant sat on a pedestal by a door on the opposite side of the room. The lights were off, and a large window adjacent to the couch had it's blinds partly shuttered. She was grateful for the dim light, as her headache hadn't diminished with the return of her strength. She was still disoriented, but at least she could move a little.

Suddenly, what Haku said hit her, "Wait, Your name is Kohaku, like the river?" She turned to look at him, slightly confused.

He simply smiled, "Yes."

_'Unusual name,'_ Chihiro thought, then sighed, _'What a crappy morning. I pass out trying to thank the guy who saved my daughter, and now he's saving me.'_

Suddenly, a massive throb hit her head. She pulled her knees up and rested her head against them, groaning.

"Here, take these."

She waited a moment for the throbbing to pass before turning her head to Haku, who had both his hands outstretched: one held a small water bottle while the other offered two white pills with the words "Tylenol" written in red.

She reached over and took both the water and the pills wordlessly, tilted her head back, and swallowed. She cracked open the seal and drank two long gulps as well. She handed the water bottle back to Haku, then leaned her head against her knees. Things were starting to come back to her. She had been in the coffee house with Haku... they had been talking, then... she couldn't remember. She lifted her head off her knees, and turned around on the couch so that she was sitting with her back against it, knees still pulled against her chest.

She looked up at Haku, who sat in one of the chairs from the table in the center of the room. "What happened?"

Haku looked somewhat uncomfortable, but responded all the same, "You passed out. The manager was kind enough to give you the break room until you felt well again. I do need to ask you a few questions, to make sure you're okay."

That worried Chihiro. "Did I hit my head?" she asked, hand flying up to her head to examine for bumps.

Haku paused for a moment, as if thinking. "Yes... you hit your head." He leaned forward in his chair, until he was only a foot away. Chihiro momentarily forgot about looking for any bumps on her head, as her heart skipped a beat.

Haku's expression turned serious as he asked his first question, "What is your full name?"

Chihiro answered easily, "Ogino Chihiro."

Haku smiled, "Good. What day is it?"

Also easy. "Monday."

Haku smiled again, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

"What is the name of your child?"

"Ogino Sen."

"How old is she?"

"One year old."

"Where did we meet?"

"The bath house"

Haku stopped, surprised. Chihiro was equally surprised, but also confused. _'The bath house? What bath house?'_

"No, that's not right... I... I don't know why I said that. I'm sorry." Yet, despite her mistake, Haku looked more pleased than ever. "The river," She continued, "We met at Kohaku River Park."

Haku smiled widely, "That is correct."

Chihiro felt unnerved. This whole string of events was weird and strange, yet familiar and it was starting to scare her. At the same time, however, she was intrigued, curious, desirous of answers to these unanswerable questions. Who was this man that had saved her child and had now saved her?

Chihiro visually searched the room for a clock, and found one on the opposite wall. It read nine thirty. She groaned, "I'm late for work."

Haku laughed. His laugh was... intoxicating. She couldn't help but smile with him. "I don't know if going to work is the best idea at this point," he said. He did have a point, and being that she was already late, perhaps the best course of action was to call in, explain what happened, and hope she could get the day off.

"I suppose" she conceded. She peeled the thin blanket off of her lap, and made to stand up. As she did, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her and her vision swam. She wobbled dangerously on her feet.

"Chihiro?" Haku's worried voice drifted to her, and she felt a pair of strong hands, one gripping her shoulder, the other her hand.

_She was looking at her hand, which was clasped in another's, but was falling out of his grip. She was walking away. Chihiro felt something inside of her scream at her not to let go…_

She blinked, and looked down at Haku's hand holding hers. Her hand held his in a death grip. Slowly, she released the pressure, but a part of her didn't want to let go...

"Chihiro?" Haku's voice, like silk, was very, very close. She looked up, and saw that he was standing a hair's breadth from her. Her pulse quickened, she felt flustered.

"I... It's... I'm okay," she whispered breathlessly. She forced herself to let go of his hand, and sit back down on the couch. Haku remained standing for a moment before slowly returning to his chair.

_'Calm down. Pull it together,'_ she chided herself. She hadn't felt like this since... well, since Kai. But she couldn't feel this way about someone she'd only known for a day. That was ridiculous. She was... unsteady, disoriented from passing out. That was all.

She was brought from her reverie by Haku's gentle voice, "Chichiro, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

Chihiro's head snapped up to meet his gaze. She was reticent to say yes, but her curiosity was more interested in what question he wanted to ask. She paused before answering, "Sure."

"Earlier you mentioned that the Kohaku River was special to you. _Why_ is it special to you?"

His question struck her as somewhat odd. _'For a personal question, it's not terribly personal,'_ she thought. When she paused a moment to consider the questions, she realized that she didn't actually _know_ why the river was special to her her. There must have been a reason, but... she simply couldn't recall why she cared so much. Haku sat cross legged in his chair, studying her as he awaited her answer.

"I..." she paused, "well, now that I actually think about it, I'm not sure." Chihiro answered. "But ever since I was little I can remember wanting to visit every weekend. My parents were always reticent to go, because I had nearly drowned in it as a child, but we still visited often. They never quite understood my interest in the river, and now that I think of it I don't quite either... " She trailed off in thought for a moment. "I was devastated when they filled it in. When the river came back..." a joyful smile crossed her face, "I've been going there every other weekend with Sen since the park opened. I know it sounds silly..." she finished, somewhat embarrassed. Maybe it was a bit more of a personal question than she'd thought. "It is just a river..."

He smiled. Looking into his eyes, she felt as if he understood. Without her having to explain, he understood. They remained like that, for a while, staring into each others eyes. She was comforted by it, by him.

"Haku?" She paused, contemplating whether to continue.

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

He laughed lightly. "Sure."

She hesitated. She was intensely curious, but wondered if she might be pushing a boundary, or might get an answer she didn't want. Curiosity getting the better of her, she decided to continue anyway, "You barely know me. You have no reason to help me, yet you saved my only child from certain death, and have stayed here with me this entire time. Why are you being so kind to me?"

Haku's smile faded, and he hesitated. Chihiro's curiosity immediately switched to suspicion, and she studied him closely, awaiting his response. His looked torn, and she suddenly saw in him a weight that made him look many years older than he was. Haku sighed.

"I don't want to lie or mislead you any more than I already have, Chihiro," he said solemnly. Chihiro tensed at hearing this. Was he some creep or stalker? She prepared herself to lunge for the pepper spray in her purse, just in case. He continued.

"I can't give you an answer, at least not yet. I understand that this is asking a lot of you so quickly, but I'm asking you to trust me." Noting her distrusting and worried expression, he added with a small smile, "Don't be afraid, I'm a friend."

The words echoed in her head, echoed across a distant memory... _'Don't be afraid... I'm a friend...'_ Her vision swam briefly, before clearing. Haku was looking at her, awaiting a response.

Before she could register the words leaving her lips, she said, "You've said that to me before." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Though she couldn't, with any sensible logic, explain how this was true, once she said it she knew it was. Haku cocked his head with surprise.

"Yes, I have."

Chihiro felt something click into place. "Yesterday, and today when I asked if we'd met before and you didn't really give me an answer... We have met before, haven't we." It was, again, more of a statement than a question.

Haku nodded slowly. Having established that, Chihiro had one more question that, she was hoping, he'd actually answer, "Why didn't you just tell me?"

Haku hesitated, before providing the very answering she was hoping she wouldn't get: "I can't answer that."

She crossed her arms in frustration, "Why not?"

"I can't answer that, either."

"Well, what can you answer?" She asked exasperatedly.

"Not much," he said with a small smile.

Chihiro realized that she was likely not going to get anywhere, especially not in her current state. She paused, and eyed him closely. His behavior was strange, but she couldn't see any alternate explanations. She seemed to have _some_ memory of him, and it was coming out in little bits, slowly. That couldn't be faked. But the situation was so... _bizarre_. But she also was not going to be getting any more answers from him. So, feeling she'd established that he was not a creep, stalker, or rapist, she determined she would come back to her needling another time.

Something deep inside her, some part of her previously dormant, urged her to trust him, assured her he could be trusted. She decided to keep this strange man in her life a little longer; If nothing else, her curiosity was piqued. She would simply have to be... cautious, around him. At least until she could get straight answers out of him.

Chihiro nodded slowly, "Alright. Alright I'll trust you... but I'm going to want answers eventually."

He smiled and chuckled lightly, "Oh, I have no doubt."

* * *

A/N: As usual, reviews are appreciated!


	7. Chapter 6: Motherly Advice

**11 YEARS LATER**

**Chapter 6: Motherly Advice**

A/N: This chapter is brand new. I decided to make use of Keiko as a character, rather than a device with which to move the story along. Enjoy!

* * *

Chihiro walked into the door and was greeted with a hug from Keiko.

"You're home early," she commented, "Didn't you have work today?"

Chihiro answered as she opened her closet door to hang her sweater, "Yes, but I really wasn't feeling well during coffee so I decided to take the day off."

She turned to see Keiko nodding in agreement, "You certainly could use a day off. Why don't you go rest a little on the couch. I just put Sen to sleep so you ought to get some peace and quiet for a bit."

Chihiro nodded in agreement, and walked over to the couch, plopping down in the middle. Keiko smiled approvingly, before walking into the kitchen.

"Were you hungry? I was just making myself lunch." Keiko called from the fridge.

Chihiro's stomach lightly rumbled. Now having had time to digest the morning's events, her stomach was in too many knots to be able to eat, despite her growing hunger. "I'm alright, thanks though."

While Keiko busied herself in the kitchen, Chihiro thought about her morning. She couldn't remember what had made her pass out, her memory stopped at stooping to pick up an object that had fallen out of Haku's coat pocket; and now that she was home she was kicking herself for not asking Haku about it.

More important than that, though, was what happened after fainting. _'So... Haku and I _have_ met before. But he can't tell me about it, and he can't tell me why he can't tell me about it. And I don't remember any of it...'_ Her mind was spinning in circles. None of it made any sense, yet she knew the morning's revelations were true. Her heart knew it was true.

Yet, despite all that, the thing troubling her most was something else, something she was having great trouble controlling. When Haku held her hand on the table... when he held her close, briefly, by the couch... The memory alone made her pulse quicken. Now that she didn't have the fainting spell to blame it on, she had to face facts: She was developing feelings for Haku. _'It could simply be because he saved my daughter that I'm getting... affectionate,_' she tried to convince herself. She sighed.

_'I can't be doing this,'_ she told herself worriedly, '_I have Sen to think about.'_

Her thinking was disrupted by Keiko walking into the room with a freshly made turkey sandwich. She sat down next to Chihiro and put her plate on the coffee table, grabbing half of the sandwich.

"So, how was your morning, Chihiro?" she asked, leaning back on the couch and taking a bite. Chihiro leaned forward on her knees, massaging her temples. She didn't answer immediately.

Keiko slowly pulled the sandwich away from her mouth and set it back on the plate, examining Chihiro's worried expression.

"I've seen that look before," Keiko said slowly. Chihiro looked up at her, confused.

"The last time I saw that look was when you were starting to fall for that coworker of yours... right before you requested a branch transfer." She said, working her way towards a conclusion.

"You're getting close to that man who rescued Sen, aren't you?" she concluded. Chihiro looked up at her, astonished. Had she been that obvious?

She tried to deny it. "Keiko, I've only known Haku for a day and a half," she asserted. Keiko looked unconvinced.

"Have you made plans to see him again?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Chihiro hesitated, not wanting Keiko to know she was right.

"That's what I thought," she said triumphantly. Chihiro sighed, and Keiko's expression softened. She grabbed Chihiro's hands gently and looked her sharply in the eye.

"Chihiro, you've always been like a daughter to me. So let me offer you this bit of motherly advice. I know these past few years have been really, really hard on you. I know you're afraid. But you have to start letting love back in your life some time. You can't run forever."

Chihiro looked at the elderly woman's hands grasping her own, then slowly turned her head up to face her. She knew she was right. She'd known for a long while that she couldn't keep running from her feelings. But the fear of heartache... the fear of betrayal... Those fears debilitated her. She was determined to keep some emotional distance between her and Haku. But, she supposed, there was no harm in just talking about how she felt about him...

Chihiro smiled softly. "You're right, on all fronts," She said quietly. Keiko smiled gently. Chihiro continued, "I just... I know I've only known him a short while, but there's something about him. I don't know how to explain it. I just get... jittery."

Keiko chuckled. "It's called infatuation," she joked. Chihiro smiled. It felt good to get it out in the open.

"Oh, that reminds me," said Keiko, standing up from the couch and heading into the kitchen. She walked back into the living room holding a necklace aloft, which featured three charms hanging from it. "I made this for you this morning. Just a little something..." she trailed off. Keiko moved back to the couch and held out the necklace for Chihiro to view.

One thing in particular caught Chihiro's eye. "That shell..." she started.

"I found it on the entryway table, I hope you don't mind that I used it?" Keiko prefaced.

"Not at all," Chihiro smiled. The necklace was beautiful. She gently took the necklace from Keiko's hand and held it up to admire it. Though she couldn't quite place why, the three charms went well together. The necklace felt... special.

"I love it," Chihiro said, "Thank you Keiko. This means a lot."

Keiko smiled, and motioned for Chihiro to turn around. Chihiro obliged, holding up her hair, and Keiko wrapped the necklace around Chihiro's neck, clasping it in the back. She got up from the couch and walked to the bathroom to get a better view of it, Keiko following behind her.

The necklace was long, creating a "V" shape with the chain and resting comfortably between her breasts. She smiled. "It looks great, Keiko. You are quite talented, you know." She gave Keiko a quick hug, before returning to admire her new necklace in the mirror. The shell sparkled brightly, despite the dim bathroom light. Chihiro rested her hand gently upon it, feeling that familiar pulsing sensation, as if it were silently calling her name.

The sun was starting to set outside, casting long golden shafts of light across the living room. Keiko, with Sen in her arms, placed a light blanket across Chihiro's sleeping form upon the couch. The charms on her necklace sprawled across her chest, the chain bunching up around her neck. Keiko walked through the hall and out the back door, to enjoy the last rays of sunlight with Sen.

Chihiro's chest rose and fell rhythmically, as she shifted slowly on the couch. She was still, experiencing the first truly peaceful sleep she'd had in a long time. The silver 'shell' which now hung from her necklace began to glow a soft blue in the evening light, pulsating in sync with Chihiro's breathing.


	8. Chapter 7: Ghosts of the Past

**11 YEARS LATER**

**Chapter 7: Ghosts of the Past**

A/N: This chapter underwent some major changes in the latter half. Sort of half new/half revised. Enjoy!

* * *

Soft Music drifted into Chihiro's ears as she trudged her way into the kitchen. Keiko was listening to her favorite jazz artist, Sidney Bechet. It was dark out, now. Chihiro's stomach rumbled as she looked at the clock: 9:00 pm. 'Wow, I slept for a long time,' she thought, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Despite her peaceful rest, she still felt exhausted, as if she were catching up on sleep missed and still had a long way to go.

In the kitchen, Keiko turned around, purse and craft bag hanging from her arm.

"Oh good, you're awake. I need to be heading out. Sen is down for the night. I'll see you tomorrow!"

Keiko gave Chihiro a quick hug before heading to the door. Chihiro turned towards her retreating form: "Thank you, Keiko. Really." She smiled gratefully.

"Anytime sweetheart," she said with a wink, before departing.

Chihiro walked to the fridge and opened the door. The fridge held but a scant few items, all of which required extensive preparation before they could be turned into something edible. There was pasta sauce, but no pasta. Chicken, but no marinades. She spotted a squash in the vegetable drawer, along with some onions and bell peppers. _'I could make a vegetable stew... but that will be another two hours before I can eat...'_ Her stomach rumbled. _'Ah fuck it, I'll order in.'_

Chihiro walked back into the living room, picking up her purse. She opened the pocket which normally held her wallet, only to find it empty. A jolt of panic ran through her. '_Where is my wallet?!'_ She opened all the pockets inside her purse and flipped it upside down above the coffee table, shaking it vigorously. Makeup, her phone, her phone's car charger, her favorite purple hairband, clips, and a variety of other items toppled onto the table, but her wallet did not make an appearance.

Chihiro stuffed the items back in her purse, then slumped to the floor in defeat. _'Great, now I have to get new credit cards, a new debit card, a new ID...' _She huffed angrily. '_Today is _not_ my day.'_

Her stomach rumbled again, causing her to punch the couch cushion in frustration. Sidney's signature clarinet warbled across the room at her. She sighed, resigning herself to a two hour meal prep.

Just as she stood, the Doorbell rang.

_'I swear, If that is somebody trying to sell me something, I'm going to scream.' _Chihiro thought tiredly. She walked to the door, tucking her messy hair behind her ears, and opened the door.

To her shock and amazement, Haku was standing on her doorstep, wearing a long traveling coat. She gaped.

Haku chuckled, and said, "May I come in?" Chihiro composed herself, and ushered him in, closing the door behind him. He shrugged off his coat and rested it on his arm.

"What are you doing here?" she asked bluntly. He cocked his head, and responded humorously, "It's nice to see you too."

She shook her head, and apologized. "I'm sorry," She said, "I'm not in the best of moods. I just realized I lost my wallet, and on top of that I haven't eaten all day so I'm starving. I don't really have any food and I wanted to order pizza but without any money I'm stuck with the prospect of spending hours making dinner..." She rambled on. Haku interrupted by gently grabbing her hand. Chihiro stopped, and looked down at where their hands met. He placed something in her palm, then backed away a half-step, smiling broadly. Chihiro gazed, astonished, as she recognized the slim leather wallet which now rested in her hand.

"Where…. How…. Whe…. How did you get this? Where did you find it?" She asked, pleasantly surprised. He smiled, "Someone found it on the floor of the coffee shop. One of the employees found this," he held up the small slip of paper on which she'd written his phone number the day prior, "inside, and gave me a call."

"How did you know where I lived?" She queried.

"Your ID," he responded simply.

She nodded, a smile finding its way to her lips. She looked up at him.

"Thank you. Really. Would you like to stay for dinner? It seems you've, yet again, saved my hide."

He smiled, "It was my pleasure. And I would love to stay for dinner."

"Hows Chinese?" she asked.

"Sounds great."

Chihiro gestured him towards the couch, while she pulled out a credit card and her phone. Haku sat down on the couch, setting his jacket on the arm rest. Chihiro walked into the kitchen, placing her order. Once she was done, she reached into her fridge and grabbed a small pitcher of water and two cups before heading back into the living room.

Haku was standing near the far wall, looking at a framed photo on the wall. It was of Sen when she was 6 months old.

Haku spoke without turning from the photo, "She looks just like you."

Chihiro set the pitcher and cups on the table, smiling, "Keiko says the same thing." Haku turned and cocked his head to the side in confusion. Realizing he had no idea who Keiko was, she elaborated.

"Keiko's a family friend. She helps out a lot... babysits for me when I head to work, that sort of thing." Chihiro paused, feeling for her necklace.

"Actually, she made this for me today," she said, resting the three pendants on the back of her hand and lifting it slightly away from her chest. The silver-white shell sparkled in the dim light, catching Haku's eye. A strange look crossed his face. He walked towards her, stopping a foot from where she stood, eyeing the three charms that hung from the interwoven chain.

"Where did you get," he gently tapped the shell, "that?" His face remained the same, but his voice had changed. He sounded sad and somewhat choked. Chihiro wanted to focus on this odd change in his behavior, but was having a difficult time dealing with his proximity. Her pulse was quickening and she could feel a flush creeping up her cheeks. She didn't want to draw his attention by moving, though, so she quietly answered the question,

"I... found it. In Sen's clothes. After... after you pulled her from the river."

He remained quiet for a moment longer, before saying, "It's lovely." He then looked up into her eyes. Chihiro cursed herself. Her face was flushed, and she knew he saw it. Keiko's words drifted across her mind, _'You have to start letting love back in your life some time...'_

_'But not now, not yet,'_ she insisted to herself, _'Maybe when Sen is older...'_

Her eyes remained on his, transfixed by his tender gaze. A part of her was screaming to back away, to keep _some_ distance between them, for God's sake. Her heart was thudding, and her mind was emptying of all thought, save for the thought of how enraptured she was in his eyes. _'He's so handsome...'_

_Ding-Dong_

She snapped out of her trance, and took a slow step back, lowering her hand back to her side.

"That must be the food," she said sheepishly. She turned to exit the living room and headed towards the door, grateful for a reason to catch her breath. _'Why did I think it would be a good idea to invite him to stay for dinner?'_

She accepted the food from the young man standing on her doorstep, then closed the door slowly. She took a deep calming breath, and called from the entryway, "Let me grab a few plates and I'll be right there."

She carried the bag into the kitchen and set it on the counter. She pulled out two plates and two sets of chopsticks before pausing. Placing her hands on the counter, she took a deep steadying breath. _'Be cool, Chihiro, be cool...'_ She picked up the plates and food and headed back into the living room.

She walked into the room and, smiling, lifted the bag of food in one hand and the plates in the other, "Dinner's ready," she announced jovially, intentionally setting down the plates on opposite sides of the coffee table. She placed the bag in the center and took a seat in front of one of the plates, gesturing for Haku to do the same.

_'A little physical space ought to do me good,'_ she thought.

Music continued to play softly in the background as Haku took a seat on the floor in front of the other plate. Chihiro unpacked the bag, opening the container of rice first and pouring herself several heapings before passing it off to Haku who did the same. Conversation having all but ceased, Chihiro decided to break the silence.

"Thank you again, for bringing me my wallet. It would have been a nightmare to replace everything in it," she said, bringing her first bite to her mouth. It tasted heavenly after a day without food.

Haku smiled, but didn't respond. The soft hum of music filled the room as they ate in relative silence. The silence, however, wasn't awkward. It was comfortable... it felt familiar. Chihiro was nearing the end of her first helping, contemplating a second.

Haku, done with his meal, leaned back against the sofa behind him and glanced around the room, eyes settling on a photo of an elderly couple on her end table.

Haku gestured towards the photo, "Are those your parents?" Chihiro looked over at where he was looking and set her chopsticks on her plate. She closed her eyes briefly before answering, "Yes, before the comas." She paused, willing her voice to stay even, "I miss them."

Haku leaned forward, face unreadable, studying her expression. She withered a bit under his gaze, averting her eyes. This was yet another topic she didn't want to talk about. She fiddled with her necklace before pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

"If it's not too much," he began hesitantly, "What happened to them?"

Perhaps it was the kindness he'd shown her, perhaps it was Keiko's advice... whatever the reason, she decided to confide in him. Chihiro kept her eyes down; she didn't think she would get through the story if she looked at him.

"A month after Sen's father Kai left, my parents got in a terrible car crash. They were heading here to pick me up for a movie." She smiled fondly as she continued, "The first Friday of every month, they came by and we went out together to see a movie. It was our time to catch up. It was raining, hard, and I had just come down with a cold. I'd meant to call ahead and cancel, but my fever left me so disoriented I completely forgot..." Her throat was getting tight, making her voice raspy. She could feel sharp pinpricks of tears in her eyes. She blinked it back, and took a shaky breath before continuing. "They... They arrived and... offered to take care of me for a few days. They headed back home to... pack an overnight bag..." She stopped. She could feel her hands trembling. Her breaths were coming short and shallow. She buried her head against her knees. Her voice almost too quiet to hear what she spoke next, was laced with guilt: "They've both been in comas ever since. I was 5 months pregnant at the time."

A tear rolled down her cheek, and landed on her leg. Another followed. Telling Haku the story, mentally reliving that ordeal, had left her feeling far more drained than she'd anticipated. She was starting to regret sharing such a personal story. She lifted one hand to quietly wipe away the trail each tear had left upon her cheeks.

Suddenly, she felt a strong arm wrap around her. She hadn't noticed it, being too focused on keeping herself under control, but Haku had moved from the other side of the coffee table and now sat beside her. His hold of her was gentle, and he held her loosely, as if asking for permission. She did not protest or pull away, a silent acceptance of his gesture. He wrapped his other arm around her, enveloping her in his embrace. He pulled her closer to him, and she felt her forehead come to rest upon his chest.

"I'm _so sorry_, Chihiro,"He said softly. Guilt laced his voice, which weighed with unspoken emotion. "You're so strong, Chihiro. You've grown even stronger since..." He stopped abruptly and didn't continue. Ordinarily, she may have questioned him, asked for the end to that sentence, but she felt too drained to bother. She simply let him hold her tightly, snuggling closer against his chest.

The smell of misty river water upon a crisp spring day reached her nostrils. 'He smells nice...' she thought, grabbing hold of his shirt as she buried her face in his chest. Her heartbeat was having trouble keeping a steady pace as she inhaled his intoxicating scent. Her mind was hazing over... scant few coherent thoughts made it through. Sen, work, her parents, Kai... her mind was empty of her concerns and her fears. The only thing present was the desire to be closer to him. She lifted her head to meet his sparkling turquoise eyes. Care and concern reflected back at her. She felt herself falling into the depths of his eyes. Her heart was racing, and her breathing was becoming unsteady and shallow.

Haku's gentle expression suddenly became alarmed. He quickly removed his hold on her and leaned back. Chihiro was disoriented by the sudden disconnection. Her hands gripped the ground, where he had been a moment ago, propping herself up. The haze from her mind was slowly lifting, though she was having trouble grasping what had just happened. She looked up to see Haku staring at her, his expression cautious.

"I'm sorry Chihiro, I shouldn't have been so forward," he apologized, though he didn't move. Chihiro's mind was starting to catch up. '_I can't believe I just... let him in like that,'_ she thought worriedly, _'Am I crazy?'_ She slowly sat upright, contemplating how to proceed. Mentally, she shoved her emotions away to the side, trying to steady her aching heart.

"No, I'm sorry. I still get very... emotional, talking about them," she turned her head to face the photograph on the end table before turning her head back to stare at her knees, thinking. _'I have to end this,'_ she decided, _'I just... I... I can't.'_ She had transferred to another branch to get away from Chen before her emotions got the better of her. She was feeling brave; she wanted to utilize it before she lost it. Lifting her head to meet his gaze, she stopped mid-way. She couldn't say what she needed to say and still look him in the eye; her resolve would break.

"Haku..." Her voice was level, but emotion added a heaviness to her tone. "I'm sorry, but I can't see you again." She waited a moment for a reaction from Haku, but got none, so she continued. "You have been very kind to me, and I thank you for it. But... I can't... see you again." Determined to have the decency to look him in the eye, she lifted her head and meet his gaze. Immediately, she wished she could take her words back. His face was unreadable, but she could see the heartbreaking sadness in his eyes, plain as day. He finally spoke, his voice soft.

"I will respect your wishes." Though this was the answer she was hoping for, the words dug into her like daggers. He made to stand and extended a hand to help her up, which she cautiously accepted, rising from the floor. "Though," he added softly, "If you don't mind, may I ask why?"

Chihiro hesitated, slowly removing her hand from his. Part of her, an increasingly loud part of her, screamed at her to take back her words, to tell him to stay, that she didn't mean it. But the part of her that was afraid, the part of her that still bitterly stung with the wounds of the past, wouldn't allow her to create another opportunity for heartbreak. Her mind was awhirl, so unsure of what to do... Her right hand went to her left hand ring finger, twirling her engagement ring round and round on her finger as her thoughts raced. Haku's eyes moved towards her hands, noting the motion. He lifted his head to meet her eyes, a small sad smile on his lips.

"I understand," he said quietly. She didn't know how to respond to this. Though she had no idea what she was going to say, or what he was going to say in response, she was not expecting him to say that. Even she didn't quite understand. She continued to stand where she was. Her legs felt unable to move, as she watched him silently walk to the couch, grab his jacket, and walk out the door without another word.

She continued to stand there for several minutes more.

Outside, she heard a loud clap of thunder. She walked silently to the window, still digesting what had just happened, unsure of how to feel. One thing was clear to her: she already missed him. Closing her eyes, she could almost feel his warm embrace. Her stomach fluttered at the thought.

A raindrop hit the window with a soft _"whap,"_ as another clap of thunder echoed across the skies. Lightning shortly followed, flashing brightly in the distance. She looked up into the sky, willing some answer to come to her, some sense of resolution. She had done what needed to be done... After Kai, after her parents, she couldn't take anymore heartache. He was just another tragedy waiting to happen... right?

Another thunderous boom reached her ears. Keeping an eye out for the lightening sure to follow, she noticed the bright flash lighting something unusual in the sky... it looked like some kind of giant white serpent? She blinked, disbelieving what she saw, searching the skies again for the strange apparition. She found nothing. '_Must be a trick of the mind...'_

Closing the curtains, she walked back over to the couch and sat down, staring at the boxes of food sitting on the coffee table, uneaten. Chihiro sighed, setting her head in her hands, feeling distinctly like she'd just made a huge mistake.


	9. Chapter 8: Unexpected Rescue

**11 YEARS LATER**

**Chapter 8: Unexpected Rescue**

A/N: This may as well be a new chapter. I lifted pieces from the old chapter, but the majority of it is new. As I mentioned, I'm taking the story in a different direction than I had originally intended when I started the story 7 years ago, and this (as well as the previous chapter) are the start of that.

* * *

Chihiro walked slowly along the riverbank, hands in the pockets of her pullover. It had been two weeks since she'd last seen Haku. Two weeks since she'd told him she couldn't see him again. Two weeks since he walked out her front door. She'd been... off, since then. Normally, Chihiro spent Sunday at the Kohaku River Park with Sen, but today she wanted some alone time to think. Keiko had volunteered to watch Sen for the afternoon so Chihiro could have the day to herself. Even Keiko, it seemed, had noticed.

The day was cool but comfortable. A strong breeze ensured that temperatures didn't rise too high. Chihiro's jeans were becoming damp with the mist blown off the top of the water, but she didn't mind. The river always had a soothing effect on her. She pulled her pullover tighter around her as a particularly strong gust blew by. Chihiro returned to her thoughts.

_'I miss him... there's no denying it at this point,'_ she thought sadly to herself, _'Did I do the right thing?' _She had to admit that she led a very lonely life. Keiko was really the only person close to her. Haku had been so kind, and easy to talk to, easy to be around. He seemed to understand her.

_'And he was so handsome...'_

She shook her head.

Looking up, she realized that her feet had carried her into an area of the park she wasn't familiar with. She was in a small clearing along the bank; a large rock sat along the shoreline, tufts of grass sticking out at odd angles along the base. There was a small island in the center of the river, with a lone bush for foliage. Feeling lost in more ways than one, she sat down atop the rock and stared out at the water.

She sighed. _'I made a huge mistake.'_

Quietly, she confided in the river, "Haku? If you're out there somewhere in the world... I miss you..." She pulled her knees up to her chest, "I made a mistake." Her voice was now barely above a whisper, "I'm sorry..." She stared out at the river, as if expecting a response. She received none. She dropped her head in defeat upon her knees.

A large black bird spiraled down from the sky, landing atop the bush on the island in the center of the river. A loud crow brought her attention to the creature, and she lifted her head to view it. Chihiro shivered. It seemed to stare straight at her. It's eyes were a blood red, and the creature was massive. It crowed again, but this time the noise sounded like words... it sounded like a name... her name...

"Chhiih... Hih...Kro"

Chihiro sat up straight, her pulse racing. _'Did that thing just...'_

Another bird, exactly like the first, flew from the cover of the darkened bank on the opposite side of the river. It flew towards the island in the middle, and landed on the perch next to the other crow.

"Chhiih... Hih...Kro"

Chihiro was off the rock now, taking several steps back from the bank. '_They're both staring at me...'_

Suddenly, she heard a loud rustling noise in the distance. Hundreds of black dots flew up from the branches of the trees on the opposite bank, flying high into the sky, crying in a discordant cacophony: "Chhiih... Hih...Kro." In unison, the birds angled themselves towards Chihiro and began descending towards her direction; no, they were flying right at her, and were picking up speed. Panic overtook her. But that panic also kept her glued to the spot. Her mind screamed at her legs to run, but she couldn't move. Her knees started to wobble dangerously, as she gripped the rock for support.

Chihiro tried to call for help, but her voice was too weak to make any discernible sound, "Hh... hhhee... heelp!" She called hoarsely, stumbling backwards and landing on the ground. The birds were nearly upon her, only a hundred feet left... 50 feet... Chihiro closed her eyes.

A familiar voice, a voice coming from right next to her, urgently called her name, "Chihiro! Chihiro, get up!"

Chihiro opened her eyes. A transparent black bubble surrounded her, arcing over her head. The crows crashed into it as though flying into a window pane. Turning her head towards the source of the voice, she was shocked by who she saw standing next to her, arms outstretched, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Ha... Haku?" She croaked, disbelieving. "What... what are you doing here?"

"Chihiro, you need to get up," He commanded. She obliged and stood weakly, staring at him, hand on the rock for support.

"When I count to three, I want you to run straight into the forrest. Keep running until you enter a glade with tall grass. Once you reach it, stay in the shadows of the trees and wait for me there."

She nodded numbly at Haku, who's attention was focused straight ahead. He started counting, "One... Two...THREE!"

Suddenly, the black dome that had surrounded them exploded outward with a loud crack, passing easily through the trees but violently pushing the crows back in all directions. She remained transfixed, disbelieving, until she heard Haku shout, "Chihiro, GO!"

She bolted. She'd never run so fast in her life. She darted through the trees, jumping over fallen branches and rocks, rushing forward like a desperate animal running for it's life. Though, when she thought about it, she was.

She only tripped once, on a protruding root, landing hard on her hands, before jumping to her feet and darting forward. Her breathing was ragged, and her lungs ached for a reprieve, but she pushed herself harder. The mental image of hundreds of crows crying her name and flying straight at her urged her forward. In the distance, she saw light peeking through the darkness of the trees. She must be close...

The light grew closer and closer until she stumbled into the clearing, eyes snapping shut and tearing from the sudden bright sunlight. She fell forward as her momentum slowed, landing on her already bloodied hands. She quickly lifted her head, looking left and right for the safety of the trees' shadow. Finding a patch of shade off to the edge of the clearing, she picked herself up and ran for it, running up to one of the trees that skirted the edge, turning around and resting her back to it, panting heavily. She closed her eyes, trying to catch her breath. Her chest heaved, and she gripped the tree behind her for support.

Suddenly, she heard a rustling coming from her left. Her eyes snapped open, and darted fearfully towards the source of the noise. A tall figure was emerging from the woods.

"Haku?" she said breathlessly.

"It's me, Chihiro," He said with a smile as he entered the clearing, walking calmly towards her. Chihiro's heart was thumping loudly in her chest, echoing up through her head and ringing in her ears. As Haku approached, she removed herself from the tree and took several hasty steps back.

"What... what was that? What the _hell_ did you do? What _are_ you?" She demanded, voice shaking. Haku's small smile disappeared. He stopped where he stood and studied her for a moment before answering, "I promised you answers, and I suppose after that you deserve at least a few," he said slowly. Chihiro's ragged breathing echoed around the small glade. Haku took five small steps towards her, and Chihiro cautiously stood her ground. He stopped several paces from her, and paused before continuing, "You were correct, when you asked several weeks ago; we have met before. Twice." Chihiro absorbed this information, but didn't see how in the present circumstance this was relevant. She was, however, readying herself to bolt if things turned sour. Haku proceeded slowly, "I cannot tell you much. Your safety would be at risk..." Chihiro tensed upon hearing this, and Haku raised a hand, gesturing that he meant her no harm. "I can tell you this. There is someone after you, someone very powerful. I am here to protect you."

This was all too much for Chihiro; her knees gave one final violent wobble before giving out completely, and she slumped to the ground with a loud _thump_. Haku rushed to her, but she recoiled in fear. Her eyes were wide, and she leaned away from him, making feeble attempts to crawl away. Looked wildly into Haku's eyes she saw genuine hurt, and momentarily paused in her attempts to escape.

"Please, Chihiro, let me help you. I mean you no harm." Gently, he reached for her scraped and bloodied left hand, placing it in his, covering her palm with his other hand. He muttered a few unintelligible words, and a blue glow emanated from his palms; she felt a sudden warmth spread through her palm and extend to her fingers. He released her hand, and she brought it up to her face. The blood was gone, and there were no signs of the scratches and cuts that had been there only a moment ago. He gestured at her other hand, and she cautiously lifted it towards him. He repeated the process.

Now having better use of her hands, she slowly crawled a small distance away from him before asking slowly, "What... what are you?"

He contemplated her question for a moment, before gazing at her meaningfully and answering. "I am the spirit of the river. Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi." It sounded like utter nonsense. But, when she paused to put the pieces together, what else could possibly explain the crows, or the... force field? Or healing her hands? But why was she so special? Why would he bother trying to protect her? Chihiro eyed him suspiciously.

"If we have met twice before, as you say, then why don't I remember it?"

Haku stared briefly at the ground, arm resting on his knee, and when he spoke his voice was thick and laced with sadness, "A witch, the witch who sent those crows, cast a spell on you many years ago; To punish you and spite me. She made you forget me, made you forget about... well, I can't tell you that."

Chihiro stared at him a moment before slowly pulling her knees to her chest and burying her face against her knees. She didn't know what to think. None of this could be possible... none of it. And yet, it had all happened. More than that... what he said _felt_ true, even if logically it didn't make any sense. But after what had just happened, was she really going to trust her life to a feeling? She felt a hand gently rest on her shoulder, and she snapped up her head. Haku's face was inches from hers, and he was unfazed by her sudden action. Her heart gave a wild thump.

Haku gazed into her eyes, then slowly held up his hand, palm facing towards her. Instinctively, she raised her hand, but hesitated making contact.

"Nothing that happens is every truly forgotten, even if we can't remember," he said softly.

Carefully, she inched her hand closer towards his, heart racing. This felt so... familiar...

Her fingers brushed against his palm, her hand dwarfed by his. She suddenly felt very light headed...

_"Don't be afraid, I'm a friend"_

_She was afraid, very afraid. More afraid than she'd ever been in her life. He was holding her by her shoulders, but her fear rang through her, reverberating like a gong, and she only wanted him far, far away from her._

_"No, no, no!" She curled up tighter into herself._

_He reached for something in the folds of his robes, "Open your mouth and eat this," He held a small berry aloft in front of her. "Unless you eat something from this world, you'll vanish," he insisted. She was shaking her head, trying to wriggle from his grasp._

_"No!" she screamed, turning her head, trying to push him away. When she felt no resistance, she turned back to look at him. Her jaw dropped in astonishment as she saw her arm floating through his face._

_"Don't worry, it won't turn you into a pig," he assured her as he placed the berry in her reluctantly accepting mouth. "Chew it and swallow," he instructed, withdrawing his hand._

_With no other options, she obediently chewed the berry and swallowed. He smiled, "Good girl. You're fine. See for yourself," He offered his hand to her, palm facing outward. She looked for a moment at his outstretched hand, before placing her own against it, watching as her hand solidified and made contact with his. Relief washed over her._

_"I'm back again..."_

She snapped her eyes closed. When she reopened them, Haku's concerned face gazed back at her. She blinked several times more, before registering where she was.

"What did you see?"

_'How did he know?' _She contemplated for a moment whether to share with him what she had seen. Seeing as he seemed to remember their shared past and she didn't, she decided to be forthcoming in the hopes that she could get further information from him.

Staring off into the distance in front of her, Chihiro recounted what she had just seen. "Is that... real? I mean, did that happen?" she asked, turning her head towards his, eyes begging an answer that made sense.

He smiled. "Yes," he responded simply. Chihiro shook her head. This couldn't be possible...

She turned her eyes towards her hands, which laid in her lap. She eyed them, flipping her hands over several times, as if to make sure they were real.

"You're starting to remember."

She looked up at him thoughtfully. "Will I come to remember everything?" she asked.

"Hopefully," he said quietly.

"What if I don't?" He didn't answer her, but instead stood up and offered her his hand. She accepted it and lifted herself up. She tried another tact, "Why can't you tell me anything more?"

He hesitated before answering, looking at her seriously, "Because If I force the memories too quickly, your mind will reject them. In the coffee shop, you came across an item from our shared past. You won't remember it, because that part of your memory has been erased. It is what caused you to pass out; your mind rejected the memory, shutting down it's other functions. I repaired what damage I could - had I not, you would have lost your memory of the entire day." He sighed softly, "You must come to the memories in your own time. I cannot tell you any more than I already have." She shivered. It was a daunting prospect.

Though her suspicious mind screamed at her that everything was impossible, that none of it could be true, her heart told her otherwise. She had already listened to her mind once and as a result she had driven Haku away. After two weeks of sulking, she was not about to make that same mistake. She briefly pondered the afternoon's events.

"So... you're not... human?" She asked cautiously, gazing at him curiously. He gazed back, eyes distant as he contemplated her question.

"Strictly speaking... no, I am not human. I have a human form," he answered, eying her thoughtfully.

"So what exactly _are_ you, then?"

"A spirit. The spirit of the Kohaku river."

A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she felt her cheeks flush with warmth.

"Um, Haku? Do you have some sort of... connection, with the River?" He nodded. Her flush deepened, and she turned her head to the side, allowing her hair to fall and cover her cheeks. Her hands fiddled with each other.

"Did... did you hear what I said on the rock?"

He was silent for several moments. When she did not get an answer, she turned to face him. His turquoise eyes met hers, and held her gaze. A gentle smile graced his lips, and his eyes conveyed a sense of... longing? - she had not seen before. The way he was looking at her... Her heart started thumping violently in her chest. He took a step closer.

"Yes."

She hadn't quite known where she was going with this. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and so she had proceeded with the question without thinking of the possible outcomes. Now that she had gotten her answer... what now?

Haku lifted his hand and gently cupped Chihiro's furiously red cheek. She felt the warmth of his hand against her skin, and felt a powerful urge to move closer to him, to rest her head against his chest as she had two weeks ago. It took all of her willpower to stay still. Haku gazed at her tenderly. Neither said a word for several moments.

Haku broke the silence first, "We should get you home," he said softly. Lowering his hand, he turned towards the far side of the glade, "It is a bit of a walk."

Seizing the opportunity, Chihiro took a small step back, willing her heart to slow, and turned towards the direction he was facing. "I don't know the way back," she said.

"It's alright, I do." he responded simply, nodding his head indicating for her to follow. Walking out from the shadow of the trees and into the sunlight, he headed towards the opposite side of the glade.

Chihiro stood for a moment, watching him retreat, before stepping forward and following behind him.


	10. Chapter 9: Of Spells and Sorcery

**Chapter 9: Of Spells and Sorcery**

A/N: This chapter features a sexually suggestive scene and some alcohol. Personally, I think it's fairly tame, but you may not feel the same. You've been warned! Also, most of it is new. Sections lifted from the old chapter but mostly new. Enjoy!

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Chihiro stared across the rim of her mug, warily eyeing the man that sat across from her. She shifted her elbows on the patio table. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, and she removed one hand from her mug to tuck a stray strand behind her ear.

Haku sat with his hands around his mug, resting on the table. He gazed back at her, face unreadable, patiently waiting for an answer. She was still contemplating his request. She had already decided on the first point. She had some concerns about Keiko: It would be unusual but not overly suspicious if his visits increased in frequency, especially not if she lied and told Keiko that she was trying her hand at dating again. Though she did feel guilty at the prospect of deceiving the old woman.

He would need one week to complete the charms and spells he wanted to place upon her home, to protect her and Sen. While she had decided to agree to this, the second point of his request was troubling her. He wanted to stay with her during the week in which he would be enchanting her home. He claimed that the witch, who apparently had a rather large beef with her, would sense the charms being placed upon her home and attempt to stop it. He wanted to be there to protect her when that occurred. A week with Haku crashing on her couch... The idea was both tantalizing and terrifying. The prospect of managing her self-control, or seeming lack of it, around Haku was daunting, to say the least. He prefaced his request with a way out: he could keep an eye on her from a distance if she was not comfortable sharing her home with him. But she would be vulnerable; they both would.

She closed her eyes. Visions of giant black crows breaking through her windows, dive-bombing Sen's crib crossed her mind's eye. Despite her severe reservations, she was not willing to put Sen's life in danger. But how to explain this to Keiko? She could already see the woman's mischievously gleeful eyes.

Chihiro slowly lowered her mug and set it down on the table. She studied him a moment longer before sighing. "With regards to the first point of your request: yes," she said. Haku smiled warmly, relief visible on his face. Chihiro leaned back in her rickety wooden patio chair, diverting her eyes to stare at the lazily drifting clouds above. "With regards to the second..." she hesitated, contemplating the certainty of her answer. The giant black crows once more crossed her mind, and she resolved herself. "Yes. You can stay here."

The back door squeaked as Keiko pushed open the door and walked out with Sen in her arms, "Look who just woke up from their nap?" Sen's small hands were curled tightly, each holding a handful of Keiko's shirt, eyes half-open. Chihiro smiled, standing to take Sen from Keiko's arms.

"Hi, honey, did you sleep well?" Chihiro cooed. She extended her arms towards Keiko. Sen's tightly clenched hands let go of Keiko's shirt in exchange for Chihiro's, as she pulled Sen close and nuzzled her head with her nose. Keiko gave Haku a warm nod before turning to Chihiro and gave her a meaningful look, saying, "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." With a discreet wink, she turned and headed back inside. Chihiro sat back down, grateful to have something with which to distract herself from the prospect of what she'd just agreed to.

Haku remained silent, and Chihiro was grateful for it. She had more than enough thoughts floating about in her head to keep her busy for hours. Sen was beginning to wake up, and take note of her surroundings. Her small brown eyes were fixated on Haku, who gazed back cheerily.

Sen started mumbling and lifted one arm to gesture at Haku. "Amma ama... agha ma schss..." she sputtered. Chihiro pulled herself from her thoughts to observe the exchange. Haku chuckled, and Chihiro smiled lightly.

"I think she likes you," she commented humorously.

Sen began to lean to the side of Chihiro's arm, attempting to wriggle free. She looked down at the child in her embrace, "Do you want to play, sweetie?" Sen continued to struggle against Chihiro's grip; She stood up from her seat and walked over to an enclosed playpen in the center of the small lawn and set Sen down inside, placing a few toys inside which had been tossed beyond the boundaries of the enclosure. Walking back to her chair, she noticed Haku studying at her with an admiring gaze. She cocked her head to the side as she sat down, "What?"

Haku chuckled lighly before responding. "You've really grown up," he commented. Chihiro smiled victoriously at his slip, suddenly feeling as though his week long visitation might not be so bad. She might finally get some real answers. "So I knew you when I was young?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

Haku's smile disappeared. "I shouldn't have said that."

"That's not answering the question," she pressed.

Haku was silent for several moments before answering, "Yes."

She pondered his answer. Were they childhood friends? Neighbors before her parents moved?

"Chihiro?" He looked serious. She faced him, studying his weary expression.

"I know what you are thinking. I know how stubborn you are. While I am here... please do not ask me any questions. I know you want to, but I could never forgive myself if anything happened to you because I let something slip."

This took Chihiro off guard; not because he knew exactly what she'd just been thinking, but because he seemed genuinely distraught at the thought of unintentionally causing her harm. _'He... cares.'_ She thought dumbly. Chihiro felt her expression soften, as she quietly responded, "Ok."

Haku eyed her gratefully, "Thank you."

"So how does this work?"

It was dark out. Keiko had gone home several hours ago, and Sen was down for the night. A pillow rested atop neatly folded blankets on the far side of the couch; a makeshift bed for Haku. The coffee table had been pushed into the entryway, and Chihiro stood with Haku in the center of the living room.

Haku slowly sat down in the center of the room, in the space the coffee table previously occupied. He kneeled, hands on his knees, and turned his head to speak to Chihiro.

"You may experience some... unusual phenomenon." Chihiro knelt in front of him, curiosity and trepidation crossing her features. He continued, "Since my river's return, my strength has grown quickly and I've yet to gain full control of my abilities. Because of this, there is sometimes an... energy leak, when I perform spells. Humans can sometimes feel this excess energy, and it can manifest itself as a number of things: heightened perception, heightened emotions, an intense shivering sensation, or, though unlikely, levitation." She blinked at him.

"I may start floating?" She asked incredulously. Haku smiled humorously at her startled expression, and nodded, "Yes. I would recommend that you sit on the couch." Eying his amused expression, she lifted herself from the floor and took a seat upon the couch, resting her back against it. Closing her eyes, she mentally prepped herself for the possible side effects Haku had described.

"Are you ready?" Chihiro slowly opened her eyes, steeling herself.

"I'm ready."

Haku gently bowed his head, closed his eyes, and began muttering a series of unintelligible words and phrases as his hands gestured strange patterns before him. She gazed around the room; everything was as it should be. Nothing moved, or glowed, there were no strange noises. She mentally laughed at herself. _'I don't know what I was expecting...'_

She continued to watch Haku as he chanted, pausing every so often to focus on making strange motions with his hands. His brow was furrowed in concentration. Magic was a lot less exciting than she'd thought it would be.

After several minutes passed, Haku's motions and chanting began to slow, and she noticed a faint aura emanating from him. The air around him rippled, as it does on hot asphalt in the summer time. She watched, transfixed, has his hands finally came to rest on his knees, his lips speaking silent words. She began to feel a tingling sensation, as if someone were running a slow finger up her spine. Goosebumps formed on her arms as she shivered. She tore her eyes away from him, startled by the sensation.

_'It's alright... Haku said this would happen,' _she assured herself, focusing on keeping her breathing steady. She looked back at the figure seated on the floor.

'He's so handsome...' she mused, tilting her head to gaze at his face, strong jaw clenched in concentration. Her eyes wandered down from his face, to rest upon his chest. He was breathing steadily, chest rising and falling rhythmically. She could see strong, well defined muscles ripple beneath his shirt. She felt her heartbeat picking up speed. Her mind was starting to feel foggy, and she was having trouble controlling where her thoughts wandered. Desires she hadn't known were present within her began rising to the surface.

Her breathing was unsteady, her heart continuing to beat erratically. She tilted her head, sliding her gaze from his chest, up then down his strong arms before resting on his hands. They lightly gripped his knees.

'He has such strong hands...' she thought with a lopsided smile, noting the veins running along them. She was suddenly seized by an urge to walk over and grab his hand, to lift it to her cheek like he had done in the glade earlier that day. The desire to feel him touch her was overwhelming. She felt her legs begin to shift beneath her, as if readying to walk across the room. She pushed hard on her legs, trying to keep them pinned beneath her. She attempted to keep her eyes focused on his hands, but her brain had other ideas. She guiltily felt her gaze move slowly from his hands, heading up his leg...

She shut her eyes, tight. Thoughts (thoughts she really shouldn't be having!) were swimming unbidden through her head. She took a deep, shaky breath, attempting in vain to control her out-of-control mind. Her heart was beating wildly. She longed for him. Longed to be held within those strong arms, to gaze into his bright eyes, to hear his liquid voice call her name...

"Chihiro?" Haku's worried voice was coming from directly in front of her. Every muscle in her body was in revolt, begging her to grab hold of him, pull him close and kiss him, taste him... It took every ounce of willpower she possessed to squeak out the words that next came from her lips, "Please... don't... come near... me..."

Without opening her eyes, she could tell Haku had stepped away. After several moments, she was able to tear her thoughts from him and focus on her breathing. '_In... out... in... out...'_ Her breathing started to slow, and heart heart rate was gradually returning to normal. Chihiro slowly loosed her vice-like grip on her legs. Now attempting to reclaim control of her wild and out of control emotions, she focused her mind on a mundane topic: Her grocery list. Mentally, she listed off everything she needed to get at the store: 'Milk... butter... eggs... rice... beef..." She repeated this list several times, feeling she was beginning to regain control of her thoughts. She tested her mental mastery by mustering up an image of Haku before her mind's eye. She certainly had many feelings rushing through her, but she could control them this time. She opened her eyes and blinked several times, being greeted by an image of Haku standing in the center of the room, eyeing her curiously. He looked tired.

"Are you alright, Chihiro?" She returned his gaze steadily, relieved to have regained her self control.

"Yeah... yeah I'm alright."

Haku smiled with relief. Chihiro eyed him warily. "Is it always going to be like that?" she asked. Haku looked thoughtful.

"I don't know. What did you experience?"

She hesitated. She was certainly not going to admit the truth. "The shivering, and... and the heightened perception," she lied. For a split second, Haku looked skeptical and she thought he was going to call her bluff, but the suspicious look disappeared as quickly as it had come and he shrugged.

"I can't say for sure. Though I do know that the fewer symptoms you experience, the smaller the energy leak." He offered her a comforting smile, but she did not feel particularly comforted. It was going to be a long week.

She grabbed the sake bottle and the two matching glasses, then walked into the living room where an old black and white film was playing quietly on her small TV; more background noise than anything else. She held up up the bottle and glasses at Haku's curious expression, and asked lightheartedly, "Do spirits drink?" She set the bottle and glasses on the coffee table as Haku chuckled at the pun.

"Yes, but the alcohol content in our beverages would put yours to shame," he joked. Chihiro paused.

"You know, I think that's the first joke I've heard from you," she laughed. She poured the clear liquid into each cup, sliding one across the table to Haku. Lifting her cup in sync with his, she reached her cup forward, making a small _*clink*_ with Haku's.

"Cheers." Though she didn't let it show, what she had experienced while Haku was beginning his enchantments had unnerved her. Quite a lot. She was acting far more lighthearted than she felt, in an attempt to keep him from seeing exactly how disconcerted she felt. _'Besides,'_ she thought wearily, _'After the day I've had, I could use a little inebriation.'_

Haku set his cup down as she poured herself a second. He turned curiously towards the TV as she finished it.

"What is this?" he asked, gesturing towards the television.

"The Neighbor's Wife and Mine," she answered, "The first successful talking film in the country. Won Best Film." Chihiro leaned back against the couch, staring unseeingly at the television set. "It's one of my favorite movies."

"What is it about?" he asked, turning towards her.

"It's about a playwright... he is working on a new script and is on a strict deadline, but keeps getting distracted by just about everything, including his own procrastination," she paused, "Though, when you summarize it, it doesn't sound as funny as it is."

Haku smiled, turning his attention back to the TV. A comfortable silence fell between them.

Chihiro could feel the alcohol beginning to take effect: her limbs felt tingly and her head was humming agreeably. Having seen the movie dozens of times, Chihiro instead turned her attention to the events of the day. Had she really just had the day she'd had? She smiled slightly. When she actually thought about it, it seemed like something out of a supernatural thriller. She started chuckling. Haku looked over at her.

"What's so funny?"

She laughed a little harder before responding. "Today has been..." she paused, laughing a bit more, "Today has been ridiculous. I was chased by devil crows, had spells cast on my house..." She smiled humorously, fiddling with the purple hair band wrapped around her wrist before looking up at Haku, "If you weren't sitting in my living room, I would have thought I'd dreamed it all up."

Haku laughed.

"Thank you, by the way, for saving me," She said quietly. Haku's expression softened. Chihiro met his gaze, smiling gratefully. Haku smiled in return, gazing at her a moment before saying, "You're welcome."

He leaned forward and poured himself another cup of sake, gesturing towards Chihiro's cup. She nodded, and Haku refilled her cup as well. She reached forward, picking the cup up in her hands, and slowly sipped the clear liquid.

Perhaps it was the sake, but Chihiro was feeling brave. She set her cup down, half empty, and looked over at Haku thoughtfully.

"I know you said not to ask any questions, but I think this one might be okay..." she began. Haku cocked his head curiously, nodding for her to continue.

She hesitated.

"Were... were we friends?"

Haku turned his head from her to stare at the TV, contemplating her question. Chihiro leaned forward on the coffee table, anxiously awaiting a response. Several moments passed before he answered.

"I can't speak for how you felt about me. I like to think you thought of me as a friend." He turned his head back to face her, gazing meaningfully into her eyes.

"I thought of you as a friend."

Chihiro blushed, and turned her face down to stare at the half empty cup in her hands. She felt a bit guilty. She had not been treating him like much of a friend, and she felt compelled to address what he had said.

"I... I'm sorry. I haven't been very friendly towards you. You saved my child, you saved me, I feel I owe you so much more than a simple thank you."

Haku smiled, and reached his hand forward to wrap around her own. She glanced at his hand atop hers before lifting her head to meet his intense gaze.

"You have already given me so much," he said tenderly.

_*BANG BANG BANG*_

Chihiro jumped at the suddenness of the loud noise. Someone was at the door. Cautiously and somewhat begrudgingly, she stood, Haku retracting his outstretched hand. She walked to the door and opened it.

As the door gently swung open, her jaw dropped and her mind flew into a panic. There stood Kai, sweaty and leaning heavily against the door frame.

And he was smashed.


	11. Chapter 10: Distractions

**11 YEARS LATER**

**Chapter 10: Distractions**

A/N: So, next chapter. Pretty much all chapters from here on out are new. I've really planned out now where I'm going with this, the specifics that is, so hopefully the next several chapters will come more quickly. There is some swearing here so... you've been warned. Contemplating a rating change to the story as well; not sure though. As always, reviews are appreciated. Enjoy!

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"Kai?" Chihiro gasped in shock. She stared for several minutes in disbelief, words struggling to reach her lips. "What... what..." She swallowed hard, "What are you doing here?" A thousand old emotions began to flood through her. Despair... heartache... rage... frustration... more rage... Kai wobbled slightly, his arm resting heavily against the door frame. His eyes were half-lidded and his knees shook with the effort required to remain standing. He looked at her as steadily as he could before sluggishly continuing, "I... I'm heeere for a good tiiiime..." He then pointed a finger at her chest, grinning stupidly, "You're... you're prrretty goooood lookin'... mind if.. if I commme inn?"

Chihiro stared at him, aghast. After more than a year, here he stood, grinning at her like some idiot fratboy, eying her chest and barely able to stand. The fact that her daughter slept in the other room, the fact that she had a guest in her home, these things fled from her mind as she snapped.

_WHACK!_

Chihiro shook her fist as pain lanced up her arm, in line with each knuckle. His jaw had felt solid when her fist connected with it, and Kai had fallen flat on his backside with the force of the punch. Her rage, though, had not yet subsided.

"It has been a YEAR! A. YEAR. YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

She stood heavily, leaning forward slightly and chest heaving with the force of her screams. Her arms rested lamely at her sides as she stared at him, hands balled into fists. She fought tooth and nail to suppress the urge to jump on him and continue punching him. She had already given up on the fight to keep her voice level.

Kai took several moments to recover. He lay sprawled upon her front stoop, gazing up at the sky with unfocused eyes, arms flailing wildly as he tried to push himself back up. When he finally managed to sit up, he held his hand to his jawbone.

"... Ooooww..." He grumbled lowly, "You... c-crazyyy bieetch..." He pointed his finger at her before his arm fell limply at his side. He turned around on his hands and knees and made to crawl away from her front porch. Chihiro, though, was not yet done with him.

"Why are you here?" she shrieked, crossing the threshold and following after his crawling form, kicking his foot with a loud _thunk_.

He pulled his knee to his chest before shouting, "Ow!" He cradled his foot in both hands, slamming his lids shut in pain. After a moment, he looked up at her angrily. He slowly, and wobbily, rose to stand, and Chihiro began to regret kicking his foot as he towered several inches over her. She took a step back.

"Chihiro?" Haku's voice came from inside the house. Suddenly, she remembered that she'd had a guest. She had been so taken away by her rage she'd completely forgotten about him. She turned around to look at him, and saw him standing in the doorway, concerned, ready to assist. There was a worry to his stance that she did not like...

Chihiro turned back to Kai upon feeling him sharply poke her shoulder.

"What... What the hell?" He complained angrily, "I come by to give you more bisshhnuss..."

Chihiro paused. _'More business?'_ Then it dawned on her... Here for a good time?... _'He doesn't recognize me... he thinks I'm a PROSTITUTE!'_

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Do you know who I am?" she asked in a low, deadly tone, daring him to give her the wrong answer. He gazed stupidly at her, before putting his hands in his pocket and waggling his pelvis at her.

"You're the... the really fancyyy..." he lowered his voice and leaned forward conspiratorially, "...lady of the night, sssshall we ssshay," he then resumed his confident, swaggering posture, "thats the old lady told me 'bout..." he gestured his thumb behind him, towards the street, but she saw nothing in the dim glow of the streetlamp.

She looked at him, disbelieving. He had a child with her, and he mistook her for a prostitute?!

_WHACK!_

She pulled her stinging fist back to her side, as Kai grasped his cheek with both hands.

"I'm CHIHIRO! WE DATED FOR A YEAR! WE HAVE A CHILD!"

Kai's eyes widened in shock and sudden recognition as he slowly moved his hand from his cheek.

"Ch... Chihiro?" He stammered.

"OUT!" she shrieked, pushing him, hard, towards the low fence that separated her yard from the street. Kai didn't need telling twice, he turned to flee before a strong hand grasped his shoulder and sunk it's fingers into his shirt.

"Why are you here, Kai?" asked a calm voice. Haku's voice. Chihiro turned, eyes like slits, her adrenaline still rushing through her and making everything seem in slow motion. He was standing beside her, his strong arm grasping Kai's shoulder tightly. She looked between Kai and Haku, and saw a staring contest occurring, one that Haku was winning. Kai withered beneath his gaze, averting his eyes before answering.

"Sshshssome...some old crone at the bar... Sschssshe told me 'bout this hooker... took me here..." He then looked grumpily at Haku, "Wwhatsshss it to youu?" Haku didn't answer. Instead, he let him go, with a slight push towards the gate. Kai stumbled backwards and eyed Haku warily before turning and stumbling as quick as he could in the opposite direction. He slammed himself against the gate in an effort to push it open and, once accomplished, he fled off down the street.

Chihiro stood, stunned, raising her hand to her heart in an effort to slow the fast, erratic beats. She gazed, seething and dumbfounded, at the shadowy figure of Kai retreating into the distance before turning to see Haku walking quickly into the house. She ran after him, asking breathily when she caught up to him in her entryway, "What are you doing?" She noticed his expression and her stomach dropped to the floor. She'd never seen him... angry? upset? both? She couldn't quite pinpoint the expression on his face but she really did not like it. He didn't answer her question, but continued to walk towards Sen's room.

_'Sen's room?'_ she thought, mind racing in an attempt to connect the pieces, _'Why would he be going into Sen's room?'_

She ran ahead of him, reaching Sen's door first and, upon grasping the handle, taking a brief moment to calm her breathing before slowly and quietly opening the door. As soon as she opened the door she knew something was wrong. The air had a smell to it.. herbs? It smelled familiar and , for some unknown reason, evoked fear and anxiety in her. Then she spotted it. The window was open, and the sheer curtains fluttered ever so lightly in the breeze. She hastened towards Sen's crib and leaned heavily against the bars, looking inside.

There was nothing.

No Sen, no favorite stuffed giraffe, no blankets. The crib was empty. Chihiro's heart stopped. _'Sen was here only a few hours ago! She couldn't have gotten out! Did someone take her?! Why would someone take her?!'_

Chihiro stared dumbly at the empty crib for several more moments, before suddenly turning and dropping to all fours, looking around on the floor for any sign of her daughter.

"Sen?" She forced her voice to be as calm as she could, but it held a trace of fear and panic. She crawled around on the floor, searching for a moving shadow or small hand sticking out from underneath the crib, under the changing station...

"Sen?" her voice cracked. It was much louder this time, and the panic was no longer hidden. After circling the room twice, she stood and ran towards the window, "Sen!" she screamed.

Her heart was thumping, her pulse racing, fear welling within her. She was gone... her daughter was gone...

_CRACK!_

Chihiro whipped around at the suddenness of the noise. Haku stood by the door, his fist embedded in the wall. His eyes held a fury like she had never seen before. They even... glowed? She shirked away from the noise. She was afraid. Very afraid. Her ex had arrived out of nowhere, her daughter kidnapped, and now Haku had just punched a hole in her wall as though it was made of styrofoam. He turned his gaze from the window to her. His voice was resolute and purposeful, but also angry and harsh.

"Pack a bag. Write a note for Keiko. We're leaving."

He turned and walked out of the room without another word.


	12. Chapter 11: The Wayoint - Part 1

**11 YEARS LATER**

**Chapter 11: The Waypoint - Part 1**

A/N: All new. The next chapter is sort of a continuation of this chapter but it got so long and unwieldy, I decided to chop it up into two chapters. BUT, I am posting both at the same time. Enjoy!

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Chihiro stood by the window, aghast. Her mind was reeling. Ordinarily she may have felt angry, sad, fearful, yet so many things had been thrown at her at once that she only felt numb. She slowly moved from the window to the doorway and peeked around the frame to look down the hall. Haku was in the living room. He had shut the front door and was running his fingers along the door frame, slowly. His fingers left a soft glowing blue line trailing behind them, disappearing after a few moments. Once he had traced the entire door frame, he moved to the closest window and repeated the action. She left her doorway, slowly moving down the hall, and approached the living room with caution.

"Haku?" Her voice weakly warbled, "What's going on?"

Haku completed his spell on the next window before speaking. He took several deep breaths before turning to face her. His eyes still held a storm's worth of fury, but his face was expressionless.

"The witch who sent the crows after you also brought Kai here. She sent him as a distraction," He paused before continuing, his voice turning sour, "She knew that I would be distracted enough to stop focusing on maintaining my unfinished intrusion spells."

Chihiro didn't move. None of this made sense. What had she done that had caused the witch to hate her so? Her numbness was starting to ebb away, and her emotions were threatening to return with overwhelming force.

"Why? Why would she take Sen?" Her voice was desperate.

His expression softened, though his eyes retained their fury. "I can't tell you, not yet. I will explain soon, but we have to leave. The greater a head start they have, the more difficult it will be to find them."

Chihiro's legs gave out beneath her and she tumbled to the floor, landing on her hands and knees. Sadness, desperation, devastation, rage and fury all crashed down around her. It was too much, all too much.

"I can't do this," she whispered weakly. Her arms wobbled dangerously and she lowered her head to the floor. "I... can't do this."

Large tears fell from her eyes, landing on the carpet beneath her and being absorbed into the fabric. The world was spinning; her world was spinning. It was spinning out of control and she didn't know what to do. She had always been a resourceful young woman, but this was more than she could handle, more than she understood. She was shutting down. Sobs echoed from the chasm created between her body and the floor.

She was vaguely aware of Haku's hands coming to rest around her shoulders. Streams of tears streaked down her cheeks. She wept. Wept for the impossibility of a _spirit_ living in her house; for the life she had been so close to losing only a few days ago; for the shock of almost losing her daughter and then getting her back before losing her again... Haku gently lifted her into an upright position, but she did not really feel him lift her: everything around her felt surreal.

"I'm sorry Chihiro, but I have no choice. If we do not leave now, we won't have a chance," His voice was sad and regretful as he lifted his hand to her head, touching her forehead with his outstretched fingers. She was startled by the sudden contact, but when she tried to move away, found she was unable to move. Warmth rushed into her, like a light ridding a dark room of it's shadows. For just a moment, she was calm. Ever so briefly, she glanced at Haku who had his eyes shut in concentration. Something about this felt familiar...

_She was in a garden, hiding behind a bush. She was shaking, though not from the cool breeze. Every sudden noise caused her to jump. A young boy sat beside her, looking around the bush to see if the coast was clear. He turned to her and she caught a good glimpse of his face. Turquoise eyes gazed back from behind shoulder length dark hair. He lifted his fingers to her forehead..._

The scene around her began to darken, as though someone were dimming the lights of the world. The images began to slowly dissolve before her, and within moments everything was black.

* * *

Chihiro was dimly aware of the fact that she was lying on her back. She was chilly, a cool breeze having awoken her. Goosebumps were creeping up her arms. Her eyelids felt heavy and whatever surface she was laying on felt hard. She slowly inched her eyes open a crack and was greeted by the night sky. There was not a cloud in sight, and the stars shone brightly... very brightly. They didn't shine this brightly at her home...

Slowly, Chihiro lifted herself into a seated position, struggling to open her weary eyes. She felt dirt and dry grass beneath her hands. Her eyes felt puffy, as though she'd been crying.

_'Wait... I was crying...'_ She struggled for a few moments to remember what had happened before she'd found herself lying on the ground. The memories were indistinct, an amorphous black mass. But the longer she concentrated, the more distinct details became. She had been at home, on the floor crying. Haku had pulled her up and pressed his hand against her head... The vision. No, not a vision, a memory.

_'I... I must have remembered him! When we were young...'_ This revelation filled her with an unexpected level of joy. Though she couldn't remember the circumstances surrounding that moment, she remembered it. They had been hiding behind a bush in a garden somewhere, and he had given her directions to... somewhere, through her head.

_'Wait... Haku! Where's Haku?!'_

She opened her eyes fully, and looked around her, searching for him. It was incredibly dark and she could only make out vague details around her. She could tell she was in some sort of forest. A squat statue stood in front of her some 10 feet away, and a large archway was beyond that. A forgotten memory niggled at the back of her mind. _'Have I been here before?'_ She tried to make out her surroundings. Looking at the ground immediately surrounding her she saw... her backpack? She didn't remember packing her backpack...

_"Pack a bag. Write a note for Keiko. We're leaving."_

The memory stirred in her mind, and suddenly the reality of what had happened came crashing down around her. Sen! She quickly, though wobbly, stood up, intent on figuring out where she was. However, standing and sitting yielded the same results: it was far too dark to see much of anything. Realizing the fruitlessness of her endeavor without light, she stumbled around for her backpack and opened it, hoping to find something useful. Inside were two spare sets of clothing, a sweater, a blanket, a water bottle, some food, a first aid kit, and a flash light. She pulled out the flash light and flicked it on, directing it towards the woods. She scanned back and forth, taking stock of her surroundings.

_'What am I doing here? How did I get here?' _The need she felt to move, to be actively searching for Sen, to be doing _anything_ was overwhelming. She wanted to simply run around in circles, it would make her feel productive, despite knowing it was a pointless gesture She resolved, for the moment, to make figuring out what had happened and where she was, a priority.

The only possible explanation was Haku. He had to have brought her here, and he must have packed her backpack. But he was nowhere to be found.

"Haku?" she called, hesitantly. She waited a few moments. No response. '_Perhaps he didn't hear me?'_ She tried calling his name, more strongly this time, "Haku?!"

She waited a moment, then two... Still no response. She sighed.

A whisper of a distant rumbling noise caught Chihiro's ear, and she paused, standing still and straining her ears. She heard something in the distance, quiet but sounding louder every second. _'What is that?'_

As the sound grew in volume, she could make out a bit more what it sounded like. Rushing water? Wind? Some sort of rushing sound. It had a rumble to it, like it was echoing. Slowly she turned, attempting to locate the direction the noise emanated from, until she was facing the archway behind her. With a start, she realized the sound was coming from the its dark depths. Her heart made a vicious thump in her chest. She made to move, her brain screamed at her to move away from where she stood, but try as she might her feet refused to budge. Her heart beat all the harder against her ribcage as a result. A face full of wind suddenly hit her, coming from the archway and knocking her over. She landed on her hands, thankful for the dry grass to buffer them from the hard packed earth beneath.

She snapped out of her shock and, having regained her ability to move, scrambled away from the archway towards the line of trees, their darkness no longer the most frightening thing in the clearing but a nice dark blanket under which she could hide. Looking back towards the archway, a dark mass appeared inside the tunnel before flying into the clearing and becoming visible in the dim moonlight. A long, silver-white dragon with a turquoise mane landed it's long (and very sharp, she noted) claws onto the ground below, jerking it's head around as though searching for something. Chihiro stared in shock and awe at the incredible creature before her. Thoughts of slinking farther into the trees for cover, as she probably should have, were absent from her mind as it attempted to grapple with the fact that a mythical creature was standing before her.

Transfixed, she followed it's head as it searched the clearing. It was... beautiful. Despite the fact that a giant beast of a creature was only 30 feet away from her, she felt oddly serene in it's presence. Her heart, however, came to a stop when, suddenly, the creature's eyes settled on hers. It saw her. But it did not lunge at her as she expected, it simply continued to stare at her, unmoving. Her heart rate slowed down slightly as, after several moments more, she realized it was not going to come at her. The dragon shimmered, like a wave of water rippling in the wind, before bursting outwards like a balloon, each scale flying in a different direction. Beneath the quickly disappearing scales, stood Haku.

He looked tired and distraught as he walked slowly towards her. Of course Chihiro knew he was the spirit of the Kohaku River, she knew he possessed powerful magic, and despite the fact that he'd mentioned he had a human "form", she simply was _not_ expecting _that._

Haku walked up to her tentatively. She nodded at him dumbly to acknowledge his presence while she licked her dry lips in an attempt to speak. Before she could get anything out, Haku spoke.

"Chihiro... " He stopped in front of her, stooping so as to be eye level with her, "How long have you been awake? Are you alright?" His gaze was searching. Chihiro closed her eyes to calm herself. She was furious, desperately sad, anxious, and afraid all at the same time. _'Being emotional is going to get me absolutely nowhere,'_ she scolded herself, '_Just... calm down, put the emotions aside, and focus on only 1 thing at a time, on the situation at hand.'_ She took several deep calming breaths, organizing her mind to be able to grapple with the situation in front of her. First things first.

She opened her eyes to meet his, eyeing him carefully, "Where... Where are we?"

"We are at the gateway, between my world and yours." He gestured briefly at the archway he'd come from.

Though she didn't quite understand what that meant, she filed it away for further questioning. She had other questions she wanted to get out of the way first.

"How did we get here? The last thing I remember, we were... in my living room..." She didn't feel like mentioning her crying.

This time, he hesitated before answering. His voice held a hint of guilt when he spoke, "You were... very upset. We had to leave immediately if we were going to have any chance of getting Sen back. I... put you to sleep, and carried you here."

She narrowed her eyes at him. Part of her wanted to pursue laying down some ground rules with regards to magic usage on or around her, but decided against pursuing her gripes at the moment. She'd yell at him when she knew what was going on.

She instead focused on a different, more important topic, "And Sen? Did you find her?" She was briefly hopeful, until she saw the dark look in his eye. Despite her attempt to keep her emotions at bay for the moment, anxiety settled in her stomach as she awaited his next answer.

"They took her across the veil," he said seemingly calm, but she could see the bitterness in his eyes, "It does not mean we can't get her back, but it does complicate things."

A small smile played upon her lips, despite herself, a hopeful smile.

"Then there's hope?"

He smiled softly, "Yes."

That was what she was hoping for: the confirmation that Sen's rescue was possible, that she was still alive. Now that she had the most pressing questions answered, she came back to the questions his answers had raised. A little more calmly, and sitting up to better face him, she asked, "So... you put me to sleep, packed me some supplies, then brought me," she gestured around the clearing, "here?"

He nodded. Her mind was working sluggishly, but was starting to catch up with what had happened.

"Why?"

He grabbed her hand, offering to help pull her up. She obliged, standing and dusting the dirt off her backside.

"This is the only place Sen's captor's would have taken her. They cannot stay in this world for long - they do not have bonds to the human world as I do. I was hoping to head them off, but they were faster. They managed to cross the Veil before we got here."

"I don't understand... What is the veil? Why can't we simply follow?"

Haku paused before answering, a look of worry crossing his face.

"The Veil is the border between your world and the spirit world." When he didn't answer the latter half of her question, she opened her mouth to pursue an answer when he interrupted.

"There is an area that is not a part of this world nor is it part of the spirit world. It is... a grey area between worlds, located inside the Veil. It sometimes inhabits both the human and spirit worlds simultaneously, or simply one or the other. From it, humans can enter the spirit world, and spirits can enter the human world. It is called the Waypoint, and that place is through the archway," he said, pointing. "I know you probably have a lot of questions, but we need to get you to the waypoint soon, before the connection with this world severs. You're not safe here alone." He grabbed her hand and made to lead her to the archway. She had no sooner opened her mouth when he once again spoke over her, "I promise, as soon as we get there I will answer all of your questions." He offered her a small smile.

Chihiro debated blindly following him, yet again, with promises of answers at some later date that may never happend. Trusting him seemed to be working for her so far, but she so desperately wanted to know what exactly was going on. She nodded her head slowly in agreement. "Okay... We'll go. But no skimping on me, I want answers, Haku." She looked at him seriously. He eyed her humorously and nodded, leading her towards the archway. She picked up her backpack from the ground before following him.

"Geronimo," she groaned, as she stepped into the darkness.


	13. Chapter 12: The Waypoint - Part 2

**11 YEARS LATER**

**Chapter 12: The Waypoint - Part 2**

A/N: This chapter is a continuation of the previous, and is the longest chapter in the story so far. The next chapter is a bit short and I'm working on finishing it up so hopefully it will be posted soon. Enjoy!

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Chihiro clung to Haku's arm, carefully extending her foot along the path in front of her. It was mostly smooth, but every now and then a large pebble or stick caused her to stumble.

"How can you see anything?" She gripped his arm tighter as she stumbled over another pebble.

"I have much better eyesight," he answered humorously. Chihiro grumbled and continued walking forward with caution. She had lost the flashlight in her mad dash for the tree line earlier, and so was forced to hold to Haku's arm as he led her down the pitch black tunnel.

"Look up," he instructed her gently. She lifted her head from gazing hopelessly at the floor, _'like I'm going to be able to see anything...'_ and aimed it straight ahead. There was a dim glow at the end of the tunnel some 50 feet ahead.

"Almost there," he said.

She was suddenly nervous. What, exactly, was the Waypoint? How long would they be there?What of work, Keiko? What had she gotten herself into? They were near enough to the end of the hallway now that she could dimly see Haku's face.

"Chihiro?" Haku stopped and turned her to look at him, lightly gripping her shoulders. She eyed him nervously.

"You may see spirits in their natural forms in the Waypoint. I don't want you to be alarmed. Nothing will hurt you, least of all when you are with me."

Chihiro nodded dumbly. She was a little overwhelmed. Nonetheless, she turned and continued stepping forward, in sync with Haku. When they were only steps from the archway, she glanced up at him briefly, anxiously grabbing a tighter hold of his arm. Her eyes were starting to adjust to the dim light that seeped through the opening, but she was forced to shut her eyes briefly when they stepped through. She stopped, and Haku allowed her a moment to adjust to the relative brightness of the room. While the room was actually rather dimly lit, it was much brighter than the pitch black hallway they'd traveled down. She peeked through her eyes, slowly letting the light in. Once she was able to open her lids fully, she took stock of the room around her. It was a large room made of stone blocks, like a castle, with rounded corners and a high ceiling. Several lanterns hung from the sides of pillars scattered throughout the room, which supported the tall ceiling. Small stained-glass windows were placed towards the top of the walls, too high to look through but low enough to see their designs; the colors in the windows glowed in the moonlight, looking like eerie paintings. Benches were placed throughout the room, between pillars, much like a train station. In the far corner of the room was a booth being manned by a sleeping attendant. He looked human, though his face was much rounder than any man's face she'd seen, and his tousled mousy brown hair reminded her of, well, a mouse. Aside from the attendant, the room was empty; though soft music floated to her ears from somewhere nearby.

Haku continued forward, and she followed his lead. She had assumed they would be heading towards the attendant's booth, but instead Haku turned to the left, walking towards a large wooden door in the stone wall. It was from behind this door that the music drifted. As they approached the door, Chihiro was able to better hear the music coming through the cracks. It was a singular instrument. _'Someone must be playing a string instrument of some kind...'_ she thought absentmindedly, attempting to distract herself from her mounting worry. Haku pushed the wide wooden door open, and they were met with an even wider staircase which led upwards. The stairs were stone and their footsteps echoed along the corridor as they walked. Lanterns, like the ones hanging along the pillars, were attached to the walls in the corridor and the dim candles lighting them flickered as they passed. At the end of the staircase, which they were quickly approaching, Chihiro could see a curtain hanging in the doorway leading to the next floor. The music was coming from the room behind it.

Haku pulled the curtain aside, and the two stepped through. Behind the curtain was what looked like some kind of tavern. The large room had hard wood floors and a counter of some sort lined the wall closest to them. Several tables dotted the center of the room and lanterns hung from the walls. One man, very similar to the man behind the booth when they first entered, sat behind the counter looking bored. Another man sat on a stool at the back of the room, against the stone wall, playing what looked like a Sanshin. His music was soft and melodic, and a beautiful young woman with long black locks was seated in front of him, gazing with admiring eyes as his fingers delicately danced along the strings. What caught her attention most was what everyone in the room was wearing: older styled traditional japanese garb. She felt somewhat out of place in her t-shirt and jeans. No one seemed to have noticed their entrance as Haku steered Chihiro towards the counter. The bored looking man hopped out of his seat and plastered a welcoming smile on his face.

"Good evening and welcome to the Frog's Crossing Inn!" he said jovially to the pair of them. He paused, narrowing his eyes at Chihiro. His nostrils flared as his smile disappeared, replaced by an unpleasant grimace, "Eugh, I thought I smelled a human. What do you want?"

Chihiro stared dumbly at him, making a mental note to check her B.O. levels later.

"We," Haku interjected harshly, "would like two rooms, please." The grimacing man behind the counter turned his gaze to Haku. His eyes widened with recognition and he took a step back, stooping low to bow.

"Lord Kohaku!" he replied breathily, "My apologies, sir! Yes, right away!" he popped his head back up, and ran around the counter, gesturing for them to follow. He led them down the hallway at the end of the room, and opened two doors next to each other. He bowed low again.

"Your stay is on the house. My apologies, once again sir!"

The man lifted his head and scurried off quickly back to his post. Chihiro gazed up at Haku with amazement.

"Lord?" she inquired with astonishment.

"Lord," he confirmed with a humorous smile, ushering her into her room.

Chihiro turned to open the door, and pushed it open. She stared in amazement. The room was unexpectedly extravagant: hardwood floors, a few lit candle lamps on the walls, and a counter jutting out from the wall with intricately carved wooden cabinets below. A twin bed with a fluffy comforter and covered in silky blankets sat in the corner, with an equally elegantly carved woodwork frame. A large and very comfortable looking chair was placed in the opposing corner, near the door. A small table sat next to it, with an oil lamp atop it. The room had no windows, though Chihiro did not particularly mind. She shook herself form her stupor and walked to the bed, setting her backpack near the head, sitting at the foot.

She took one calming breath before looking up at Haku and demanding, "Answers."

He chuckled, shutting the door and walking to the chair in the corner and taking a seat.

He folded his hands in his lap and eyed her humorously, "Ask away."

She thought for a moment, deciding to work her way backwards. "You're a Lord?" she asked, eyeing him with curiosity and a degree of incredulity.

He nodded, a twinkle in his eye, "Yes. Lordship in the realm of spirits is based on power. Since the reemergence of my river, I've become a rather powerful god."

"So that's-" she stopped, registering what he had just said.

"Wait... god?! I thought you said you were the spirit of the Kohaku river."

He smiled, "I am. Some spirits are simply spirits. Other spirits are powerful enough to also be gods. I fit into the latter category."

She leaned heavily against the wall behind her. _'He's a god?!'_ She suddenly felt very foolish for her girlish infatuation.

"You're a god." she did not ask, but confirmed, "Wow... I..." A thought suddenly occurred to her.

"You're a god. Why... now I really don't understand. Why would you go to such lengths to help me?" she leaned forward, a small frown on her features, brows knitted in confusion.

Haku sighed, and eyed her with an unusual expression. He looked sad. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, gazing meaningfully into her eyes.

"We were... friends, once. You helped me, and were the only one willing to believe that I wasn't the monster everyone else thought. You helped me recover something... important. I have never known how to thank you for that kindness."

She gazed into his sorrowful turquoise eyes with wonder. She had done all that?

"I..." She didn't know what to say. She had done something important enough that a _god_ felt indebted to her. She slammed her fist into the bed in frustration, taking her eyes off of Haku's and gazing at the wall behind him.

"Why?! Why can't I remember?!"

He smiled softly, "You're starting to. That's a good sign."

His encouragement, however, did little to suppress her frustration.

"But it's not enough. I get these little pieces, moments with no context. I don't understand any of them," she huffed, crossing her arms and leaning her head against the wall, looking up at the ceiling.

Another thought occurred to her. Why had she not realized this sooner?

She turned her head down and eyed Haku suspiciously.

"Why are you being so forthcoming _now_? I thought you said you couldn't tell me anything because it would harm me."

An uncomfortable look briefly crossed his face and she leaned forward, staring at him accusingly.

"Were you withholding answers from me purposefully?!"

Haku shifted uncomfortably in his seat, avoiding her eyes.

"Haku!"

He turned his gaze back towards her, looking somewhat guilty. "No, I have not. What I said was true, you did and still need to come to the memories in your own time."

She stared at him, still suspicious, but stayed silent; an unspoken command to continue.

"I...," he started, fidgeting in his seat, "please understand that I don't intend for this to become a habit, at least not without your consent."

Chihiro's eyes narrowed.

"Since our first meeting at the river, I have been attempting to... undo, the original spell cast upon you."

"And how, exactly, have you been doing that considering that we have only seen each other a handful of times?"

Haku lifted his hand to point at the necklace around her neck. Chihiro reached around behind her head and unclasped the necklace, bringing it before her face and lifting it to eye level. To her astonishment, the silver-white shell was glowing a soft blue. She shifted her eyes from the shell to Haku, mouth agape.

"What.. what is it?"

"It is one of my scales. I had not expected Keiko to make it into a necklace, though it certainly aided my efforts. I placed it in Sen's pocket when I brought her from the river, and cast a spell on it so that you would not throw it away... so that it would stay near you. I have been channeling my magic through it, to you."

Chihiro's disbelieving expression suddenly turned angry. She jumped off the bed and walked up to him.

"How many spells have you been using on me?!"

"Chihiro..." he began, but she interrupted.

"How can I trust you now?!"

Haku stood from his chair and grasped her shoulders, kneeling slightly to eye level, his voice strong but steady "Chihiro, please!"

Taken aback, she ceased her tirade and shut her mouth, allowing him to continue.

"Chihiro, I'm sorry. I would have asked your permission if I could. The nature of the spell was such that I could not without causing irreparable harm. You wanted answers. In order to provide them, parts of the spell needed to be removed."

Chihiro stared at him in confusion, unsure of how to proceed. If she believed what he said, it was really rather a kindness. _'But... how can I trust him now? He could be casting who knows what spells and I'd never know...'_ And yet, here she was, with him in her bedroom acting nothing but the gentleman. He was engaging in a rescue mission to save her kidnapped daughter, after having saved said daughter from an early watery grave, and shortly after having saved her from a death straight out of Alfred Hitchcock's _'The Birds'_...

"Haku?" She gazed into his eyes, which were startlingly close to her, she suddenly realized with a hitched breath.

"Yes?"

She quickly composed herself, "Promise me... Promise me you won't use any magic on me without my permission?"

He smiled softly, nodding, "I promise." He released her and slowly lowered himself back into his seat. Chihiro likewise returned to her seat at the foot of the bed. Her close proximity to him had left her a bit breathless. She climbed atop the pile of silky blankets and crossed her legs, leaning her head against the cold stone wall. She took in a few calming breaths. A lot had been said in a rather short period of time. She had wanted answers, but wasn't expecting so many in such a short span. A comfortable silence fell between them as she contemplated everything that had been said. Her mind drifted back to an earlier question which had gone unanswered in the clearing.

"Why can't we simply cross the veil and go after Sen?" she asked, her chest tightening at the thought of her missing daughter.

"The connection between the Waypoint and the Spirit World severed before I arrived. They made it across just before it did. We will have to wait until the connection reestablishes itself."

"How long will that be?" she asked with a sense of dread.

"I don't know specifically how long, but the Waypoint usually does not remain disconnected from the spirit world for more than a week or two."

"A WEEK OR TWO?!" Chihiro screeched, sitting upright and panic rising, "Sen could be dead by then!"

Haku smiled gently, and opened his mouth so speak, but was interrupted.

"Don't you smile at me, this isn't funny!"

Haku chuckled, holding a hand up, "Time in the waypoint passes more slowly than it does in either the spirit world or the human world. A week here is only a day in the human world, two in the spirit world. We will not be far behind when the connection is remade."

Chihiro relaxed slightly, leaning back against the wall, though her heart was still thumping.

"We will need that time anyway. You cannot enter the spirit world until you regain more of your memories, and until I remove more of the spell."

Chihiro looked up at him curiously, "Why?"

His expression turned serious, "I can't tell you, at least not until we have made more progress. But please, trust me."

Chihiro stared at the wall opposite her for a few moments, before turning a beleaguered face towards Haku,

"I need a drink."

Haku chuckled, "Are you sure about that? Spirit drinks are not for the faint of heart."

"Yeah, well, you didn't see me in college. The stronger, the better."

* * *

Five minutes later, Haku returned to the room with a glass bottle, resembling that of a wine or sake bottle, as well as two glasses. Two of the candles had burned out and Chihiro was replacing them with spares she found in the wooden cupboard when he walked through the door, setting the items on the table next to the chair. He poured just a little into one glass, but filled the other. He took the full glass and sat down in the chair, taking a sip.

Chihiro walked across the room and looked at the pitiful amount of liquid in it. With a frustrated glance at Haku, she grabbed the bottle and poured the glass three quarters full before taking a seat at the edge of the bed, feet dangling off the edge. She sniffed the liquid experimentally; it smelled somewhat sweet, and a bit fruity. Lifting the glass to her lips, she took a hearty swig. As the liquid slid down her throat, she suddenly felt an intense burning sensation in her mouth and throat and began coughing heavily.

Haku chuckled, "I did try to warn you," he commented somewhat smugly as he took another sip from his cup, eyeing her over the rim.

As her coughing subsided, she composed herself and eyed what liquid was left in her cup. She had downed about 1/3 of it. Turning a petulant eye towards Haku and catching his gaze, she braced herself and downed the remaining liquid, holding back another coughing fit and standing up to place the glass on the table before taking a seat again. Haku chuckled.

Chihiro flopped backwards onto the bed, onto her back, gazing up at the ceiling and contemplating all that had happened in the past few hours. Suddenly remembering the man's rude comment from earlier, she pulled her shirt to her nose. She smelled just fine; rather nice in fact.

"Why did that man say I smell? I smell fine."

"Spirits have a very different sense of smell than humans do. To spirits, humans have a very distinct odor that most here find... unpleasant."

She felt a bit affronted. She didn't smell! She sat up, staring at Haku's amused eyes.

"Do _I_ smell?" she asked huffily.

Haku smiled comfortingly, "You certainly had a very strong and distinct... scent, when I first met you at the river. But since then it has lessened. You smell a bit like a spirit now, actually."

Chihiro gently laid back down onto her back again, "Well, as long as it's gone now, I guess." She suddenly closed her eyes as dizziness briefly overtook her. _'I guess he was right about spirit world drinks... that came on fast.'_

When the dizzy spell passed, she opened her eyes to stare up at the ceiling. She was feeling... loose, comfortable. A lopsided grin crossed her face. _'I needed this...'_ she thought, bringing a hand to massage her temple, _'It's been a hell of a day.'_ Suddenly realizing the ridiculous grin she likely still had on her face, she attempted to compose herself, not wanting to give Haku the satisfaction of an 'I told you so'.

She turned her attention back to chewing on the day's events. There were still a few questions niggling at the back of her mind...

To the ceiling, she asked, "What did you do to me back at my house? You've done something like that before, I remembered as you were doing it. We were in a garden..."

"Yes, I've done something similar to that before," he responded in a very pleased tone of voice. Clearly he was happy to see she was remembering things, "The first time, I was giving you directions."

"What did you do, specifically, this time? I mean, how did you 'put me to sleep?'"

"I interacted directly with your mind, triggering your brain to begin processes for sleep." His voice became apologetic, "And know that it is not something I would do again without your permission. Had the circumstances been different..."

A thought suddenly occurred to her. A peppering of pink dusted her cheeks at the thought, and she was grateful for the dim light. She sat up slightly, eyeing Haku warily.

"Does that mean... did you read my mind?"

He chuckled, "No. Mind reading _is_ possible, but it's a very complicated process."

Relief washed over her and she nodded in understanding. Silence fell between them. In the past several hours she had learned more about his capabilities than in the entire time she'd known him; AND he could turn into a dragon... Which reminded her... How was this not the first question she asked?

She leaned forward slightly, gazing at him with a sense of awe. "You were a dragon," she stated, looking at him searchingly, unsure of how to phrase her inquiry. Haku, however, seemed to understand.

"Yes. That is my true form. I can change between forms at will."

"You're a dragon," she repeated in astonishment.

Haku laughed, "Yes."

One thought kept nagging at her: he was obviously an incredibly powerful spirit. He busted a hole in her wall with his bare hands, used magic to save her from a cadre of demon birds, could turn into a dragon... What else was he capable of? "Haku... What exactly can you do? I mean, what sort of powers do you have?"

Haku studied her, but did not answer right away.

"I'm sorry, is that... considered rude, or something?" she hurriedly apologized when he made no move to answer. He shook his head, gazing at her thoughtfully.

"No, it is not considered rude. To be truthful, _I_ don't even know to answer to that. Since the river was rebuilt, my powers seem to just... keep growing." He paused, tilting his head to the side in thought, "Why do you ask?"

She thought for a moment on why she wanted to know, and responded truthfully; far more truthfully than she might have without who knows what proof of alcohol running through her system, "I guess I just... Well, I don't know that much about you, as a person, let alone as a spirit.. Despite everything you've done to help me, and despite everything you've told me tonight, I'm... not sure what to make of you."

He looked at her gently, though with curiosity, "And what do you make of me, so far?"

A light blush peppered her cheeks and she looked away, staring off into space. She contemplated his question. What did she make of him? A few thoughts ran through her head: _'He's kind... kinder than any man I've ever met. He's gentle and tender... strong and capable...'_ She smiled in spite of herself, before suddenly realizing she was daydreaming like a lovestruck schoolgirl, right in front of him. She closed her eyes briefly, attempting to compose herself amidst the haze the alcohol was creating. Straightening up and turning to face him, she said somewhat more soberly, "I'm... not sure yet."

Though she did make a good point to herself: what did she really know about him, personally? _'Might as well start learning.'_

"What's your favorite color?"

He laughed, "My favorite color?"

"Yes, your favorite color. What is it?"

Haku contemplated the question with a soft smile before answering, "Green. Yours?"

"Oh, definitely blue. It's been my favorite color since I was little." Chihiro grinned. She lifted herself from the bed and walked to the table, pouring herself another glass of the light rose colored liquor before resuming a seat at the edge of the bed.

"What's it like, being a dragon?" she asked, staring down at and swirling the drink in her hand, "Can you fly?"

Haku eyed her humorously as she sipped from her glass. "Yes, I can fly. That's how I brought you to the border. As for your other question... I can't say. What's it like being a human?"

Chihiro lifted her eyes from her glass to gaze at him thoughtfully. What was it like being human? She had never bothered to ask herself the question, and had never contemplated the answer. She tore her gaze away to look back at her glass, taking another sip. She took a few moments to reflect upon her life: what had come to characterize her existence?

"Pain," she finally responded slowly, taking this time a large swig from her glass, "Great pain and great joy twisted together like some kind of sick pretzel," she looked sadly down at her glass. The humor that had previously occupied the room was now replaced with an air of tension. Haku remained silent, so she continued, ignoring the little voice in her head that urged her to keep these kinds of things private. "In a span of just a few months, the man I thought I loved left me with his unborn child. My parents were, for all intents and purposes, taken from me. I had no friends, no one but Keiko really. I was left to deal with it all mostly on my own. But when Sen was born... It had been so long since I'd truly been happy. She made me feel happy again. She gave me a purpose, reminded me what love was." a tiny smile made it to her lips, just as her eyes overflowed with moisture and a tear rolled down her cheek. She watched distractedly as her tear dripped from her chin and dropped into the glass held in her hands.

She suddenly felt a soft, warm hand brush her cheek, wiping away the line of moisture left by her tear.

"We'll get her back," Haku said gently. He was kneeling beside her on the floor, his other hand on her arm. She hadn't even noticed him move. She lifted her head to meet his, locking eyes. She felt a warmth inside her chest, her pulse quickening. His gaze was tender, his touch gentle. She felt cared for. It was how she always imagined, hoped, it would be with Kai. It never was. A small smile graced her lips and she leaned her cheek against his hand, closing her eyes. Her second glass was already taking effect. The voices in her head warning her against getting too close were all but silenced by her rather heavy buzz.

"Thank you," she whispered. Chihiro slowly opened her eyes to gaze into Haku's; she was somewhat startled by the intensity in them. There was a passion, a fire in his eyes that, had she not felt so safe and calm in his embrace, she may have recoiled. Instead, she felt a thrill run down her spine. He smiled, a warm, tender smile that sent her heart into a frenzy. He was so close to her, and she wanted him to be closer. But instead, Haku slowly backed away, releasing his gentle grasp on her cheek. Standing, his smile faltered slightly as he said, "It's late. You should get to bed."

She felt the absence of his touch as one does a cool breeze on a hot day. Her smile diminished as she silently nodded. She knew he was right, she was exhausted, but it was the first time they had really sat down and gotten to know each other. She was reticent to give it up so quickly.

"Sleep well," she said, as he moved to stand by the door.

"Sleep well," he smiled, then opened the door and walked out, quietly shutting it behind him.

She stared at the closed door, exhaling a long sigh before lying back on the bed.


	14. Chapter 13: Self Control

**11 YEARS LATER**

**Chapter 13: Self-Control**

A/N: I'm on a roll! 3 chapters posted in just a few days! Fair warning: after this chapter I'm going to be busy so it may be a while before I get the next few up. Will update as soon as I can, though; enjoy!

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Haku silently closed the door behind him, leaning his back heavily against the wood. He rested his head back, exhaling a long sigh. The more time he spent around her, the harder it seemed to remain disaffected. It had been a decade! Wasn't he allowed to miss her, miss his friend?

Who was he kidding? He knew that was a lie. She wasn't his friend, wasn't then and wasn't now. She was so much more than that. Even back then, she hadn't realized what she meant to him, how she affected him. And she certainly didn't realize it now.

It had been so hard for him to say goodbye to her, all those years ago. He knew that, back then, he couldn't tell her how he felt. She would have tried to stay, and he was certain Yubaba was only going to give her one chance to get back home. He had kept his promise to her, not that she'd know. He wished she did, he wished she knew how every day he thought of her, how he waited anxiously until he was strong enough to cross the veil, to see her again.

It hurt him more than he'd expected, when he first spoke with her at the riverside, that she didn't know who he was. He knew it wasn't her fault, and he'd been expecting it. Yubaba had done it to her when she'd left spirit world a decade ago. But it still stung that she'd forgotten. He'd busied himself with protecting her and Sen, so as to try and shift his attentions away from this fact. But months of watching over her had only forced him to realize how much he'd missed her since she left. She was gentle and sweet and kind, but also independent and strong... He had never intended on revealing himself so soon, but when Sen had fallen into his river... he couldn't help himself. He wanted to see her, wanted her to see him, even if she didn't remember.

He walked away from the door and slowly laid down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had to focus on protecting her from Yubaba. She meant so much to him, and he couldn't let his feelings for her distract him, lest he lose her for good. But a part of him screamed to put everything on hold and just... be with her, to cherish the time he had with her. That was all he wanted; to hold her close, take in her intoxicating scent, caress her delicate skin.

But she didn't feel that way. He was just a friend to her, and it had taken quite a bit of work to get even there. A frustrated sigh escaped his lips. Closing his eyes, he let his mind drift back to that moment in her room: holding her cheek, drying her tears, gazing into her sad chocolate eyes. A shiver ran up his spine at the thought. He'd wanted so badly to lean in and kiss her, to take away her pain, let her know she was loved. But she was vulnerable... vulnerable and confused. It wouldn't have been right.

His self control was slipping and he knew it. Ordinarily he excelled at controlling his emotions, but around her... she somehow knew how to push his buttons just right. Her smile made his heart melt. He'd do anything for her, if only for a smile. He shook his head, getting up off the bed and sitting in the center of the floor, legs crossed. Meditation had always proven useful when attempting to gain the self control and focus needed to perform a new spell. Lately he had been finding himself meditating in order to maintain his self control and focus around her. He set his hands on his knees and closed his eyes, attempting (in vain) to clear his mind of all thought.

It was going to be a long week.


End file.
